Pandora's Templar
by Coranth
Summary: After the tragic death of his beloved Ieesha, our hero decides to leave Aiur and begin a new life. He finds himself on a planet situated in the Alpha Centauri A system, approximately 4.37 light years from Earth. A world called Pandora.
1. Chapter 1

_**Disclaimer:** Blah, Blah, Blah. I don't own Avatar; James Cameron does. All the Avatar stuff belongs to him. However, my Na'vi character, myself, the Dragon Weyr and its technologies, and the Pandoran animals of my menagerie are all mine. The Protoss - apart from my characters - all belong to Blizzard Entertainment._

**Pandora's Templar**

This tale begins on a sad and tragic note. It begins with the death of my dearly beloved Lifemate, my Kirathian Dragoness Ieesha. The day it happened, she and I were assisting the Shelak Tribe with the excavation of a newly discovered Xel'Naga Temple at an archaeological dig high in the mountains of Pas'aka. The leader of the Archaeological Team, a grizzled, old knowledge seeking Khalai named Vuruk, had assured his team and I that the interior of the old Temple was safe. He'd been there before with a previous team, and had checked, and rechecked, and _triple-checked _that the sections of the Temple which had already been excavated were _completely safe_ for us to enter.

The old Xel'Naga Temple _hadn't_ been safe, at all. As Ieesha and I had entered one particular room - a burial chamber, which had housed a beautiful sarcophagus, forged from some kind of ancient brass-like metal - a massive stone block, almost three times the size of my beloved dragoness, had fallen from the room's ceiling. I'd managed to leap out of the way in time... but Ieesha had not. The massive block had smashed down atop her, crushing her wings, breaking her back and pinning her to the floor. The Medical Team who'd travelled with the archaeologists could not help her. The battlefield medical training I'd received - a mandatory course all Protoss Zealots had to undertake as part of their training - could not help her.

Nothing could help her. The only thing I _could_ do... was hold her great head in my arms... as she _stared_ at me in a state of utter shock, and then dumbly tried to nuzzle me and lick my face with her fine pointed tongue. In the end - after I'd conveyed to her what had happened - she asked me to... to _end it_ for her. At this, I _raged_ internally - I personally believed that euthanasia was the 'coward's way out' - but this was a request made to me by my _Lifemate_ that would end her suffering_, _and so, with a heavy heart, I agreed. Via a combination of two medical drugs - a lethal dose of anesthetic and a second compound that would stop her heart - that day, I... I put my beloved Lifemate, Ieesha, of the Omari Kirata, to rest.

Before she passed away, my beautiful dragoness nuzzled me, and softly kiss-licked my face. Then, she _smiled,_ and said **"Sweet David... Thank you. I love you. Goodbye."** Then, her eyes slowly closed, and with a final, contented sigh, she slipped away... I returned to the City of Chionesu, to arrange for Ieesha's funeral - a private, dignified, and utterly _sacred_ event, held several weeks after her death. Only my Father, Ar'Adun Teth, his Advisor and my Mentor, Zhand'Akull, and Ieesha's Mentor, Prelate Zeratul of the Dark Templar, attended the funeral. Together we blessed and consecrated my beloved Lifemate's body and spirit, before sending it to Adun with all of the dignity and honor afforded to veteran warriors of the Protoss Empire.

As she presided over the event, Judicator Phiara - a member of the Protoss Judicator Assembly and a dear friend of ours, whom had almost been like a foster mother to Ieesha - struggled to keep her tears at bay and maintain her self-control. The funeral almost did me in. When Prelate Zeratul had walked over to me, his steps slow and heavy, old and tired, and had passed unto me my Lifemate's possessions - her Argus Helm and Collar set atop her neatly folded Templar Robe - it had taken all of my self-control to keep from bursting into tears. That night, after the funeral, I returned to the Dragon Weyr in a state of stunned shock. Making my way into the _Weyrheart - _our home within the Weyr, a place filled with cherished memories - I carefully placed Ieesha's things atop the dresser housing my clothes, where they had _always_ resided.

Then I began the age-old ritual of preparing for bed. After undressing down to my boxers and preparing new clothes and my Templar Robe for the next morning, I turned to the Great Fleece Pile at the centre of the room and prepared to settle down for the night beneath Ieesha's wing but then, I realized _she wasn't there. _'Hmm... That's strange,' I thought, 'I wonder where she could be?' Absently thinking that she might be tinkering with something in her section of the Dragon Weyr's Laboratory, or perhaps outside gazing at the stars, I sent a question to her through our bond... Then, horror gripped my guts as I discovered that our bond _wasn't there anymore_; that it had been _severed, _andreplaced by the chilling cold of an empty void.

Suddenly, the memories of everything that had happened hit me all at once: my beloved's crushing by the stone block... her merciful death _by my own hand... _andher funeral. Carefully unfolding the midnight blue, rune-covered, horse coat-like garment that was her Templar Robe, I wrapped it about my body, literally burying myself within its warmth... _her_ warmth. Collapsing upon the Great Fleece Pile, I crawled weakly to its centre and then - wrapped in the warm, musty comfort of my beloved's robe, surrounded by her scent and memories - I _cried_, I _wept, _I _bawled _like a baby. With the death of my beloved Ieesha, I slipped into a dark, malevolent pit of grief - a pit from which I almost didn't return - untilI began an investigation into the events surrounding her death. Most believed that Ieesha's tragic death had been just that - a horrible, tragic accident.

I, however, did not. Therefore, in secret, I gathered a highly skilled team of investigators consisting of members from all of the Protoss Castes - Judicator, Templar, and Khalai - and charged them with the task of investigating the death of my beloved Lifemate. Led by Khalai Vuruk of the Shelak Tribe, who'd been appalled, and horrified, by what had happened to Ieesha at the Xel'Naga Temple, all were either work colleagues or close friends of ours. The entire team was 'on my side' - all had known and loved Ieesha for her kind, benevolent nature - and what they discovered turned my grief into _fury! _Ieesha's death hadn't been an accident; it had been intentional. Before _our_ team had been sent to the archaeological site, a_ second _team had traveled there.

Via Khalai Vuruk's own plans and scheduling information - that had been _'misplaced'_ mysteriously, and then conveniently '_found'_ a few days before we'd left for the site - this second team, knowing that Ieesha and I were scheduled to be in that part of the Temple, had deliberately _sabotaged _the ceiling of the room! They'd attacked the stone block from outside the temple, chipping away much of the ancient mortar holding it in place, before using a series of almost undetectable timed explosives to destroy the rest, in order to bring about her death. The man who'd given this second team of 'archaeologists' their orders - the cruel bastard who'd orchestrated it all - was Andorhal Vi'thos, a high-ranking member of the Protoss Judicator Assembly, who'd been hostile to me from the moment I had first come to Aiur.

His hostility towards me stemmed from what I represented: _change, defiance, _and - in his mind - _chaos. _I was an upstart, an abomination whom often called for a gentle relaxation of the normally rigid statutes of the Khala, the strict rules and traditions defining the behavior of Citizens of the Protoss Empire. A hidebound traditionalist, Andorhal Vi'thos _hated_ change... and therefore, sought to end it, by destroying me, not directly, but through the death of my Lifemate, Ieesha. Two weeks after the conclusion of the investigation, my team presented the irrefutable evidence of Judicator Vi'thos' crime before the High Tribunal of Chionesu. Three days later, Judicator Vi'thos was found guilty of Conspiracy to Murder a Citizen of the Protoss Empire.

Those who had aided him in bringing about Ieesha's death, and his entire family, were made Casteless. Vi'thos himself was sentenced to death, by my hand. I put him down like the animal he was. With closure attained and vengeance for my Lifemate achieved, there was nothing left for me on Aiur and so - three months later, after getting my affairs in order - I entered the Dragon Weyr for the last time. Making my way into the _Weyrheart_, I stood before the Great Fleece Pile in the main room, and closed my eyes in contemplation. Externally, the Dragon Weyr resembled the head of a Kirathian Dragon, as homage to my Lifemate, Ieesha. At the base of the head was the front entrance and foyer; behind the left eye was my office, and behind the right eye was the Laboratory, where I maintained my equipment, and she once studied the stars.

Deep within the skull of the Dragon Weyr – where, in a normal dragon, the brain was situated - was the _Weyrheart. _This place was our home, and it possessed the usual rooms and amenities one might find within a typical house on earth, although the rooms had been made huge, to comfortably accommodate Ieesha, when she and I had lived together in the Weyr. The _Weyrheart _consisted of several rooms. The huge main room, in which I stood, was the general living room and sleeping area. At its center was the Great Fleece Pile, upon which Ieesha had relaxed during days and slept at nights, and where _I_ had slept with her, beneath her wings. Away from that was a lounge suite comprised of a comfortable sofa and two armchairs, all made from soft leather.

The lounge suite faced an _enormous _Holographic Viewing Screen. Views from the Dragon Weyr's external cameras, data gathered from its many sensor pallets, Free-To-Air Television, Austar and Foxtel Satellite Broadcasts, DVD Video, Radio... If we desired it, via that supersized screen, we could have it. We could even route the DVI-Video Signal from the Nvidia GeForce GTX460 Graphics Card of my AMD Phenom Computer System through it if we wished, in order to play computer games. Against one wall of the room rested an enormous bookshelf filled with all-manner of books, and beside that, there was a _reading machine. _Said machine turned the pages of books placed within it, and displayed their pages magnified on the Holo-screen so that Ieesha could read them. When she had lived, Ieesha had placed many a book into that machine.

Away from this 'library area' rested a sturdy oak dresser; within it were all of my clothes, atop it rested Ieesha's possessions and next to it was a mannequin, on which I would place my Templar Robe at night. Off from the main room was the Transport Alcove, which housed a powerful transporter that allowed Ieesha and I the luxury of swift travel between the _Weyrheart_ and the rest of the Weyr. There was also a Sleeping Alcove for guests - which contained a proper bed, as well as seven additional bunk beds that slid outward from the walls - and a small Kitchenette. The kitchenette was outfitted with a large Quantum Replicator Terminal for creation of food and drink.

Additionally, to accommodate any guests we might have, it also contained a Microwave Oven, a sink fitted with a waste disposal unit and the usual array of cupboards and drawers filled with human-sized crockery and cutlery. The final three rooms of the _Weyrheart_ were a fully equipped Medical Bay, the bathroom - that contained an enormous shower, a roman-style bath, and a small vanity unit for my use - and the Psiodeck where Ieesha and I honed our skills via countless training simulations, and games. Pulling myself away from these thoughts, I sighed wearily, and then softly intoned a phrase in Khalani. _"The past is but the beginning of a beginning... and all that has been is but the twilight of the dawn."_

Immediately, the Dragon Weyr _responded_ to the phrase. _Shock _filled my thoughts, followed by _resignation_ and _affirmation. _Then, the lights in the room_ flickered, _and hidden machinery whirred to life_,_ as the great structure sealed its doors and then - with a hiss and rush of internal air - activated full life-support capability. After that, a feeling of _questioning_ filled my thoughts. Immediately, I answered, "We've been betrayed, and Ieesha is dead. It's happened, as we knew it would. There's nothing left here for me anymore, so yes, I'm sure; please prepare for departure." Sentient, self-aware, and completely self sufficient, the Dragon Weyr was maintained by trillions upon trillions of _Protoss Nanocytes _- tiny machines smaller than living cells - which it manufactured itself, deep within its mighty superstructure.

At my words, it began directing those Nanocytes. A mixture of emotions filled my thoughts - _grief,_ _sadness, _and _loss_ at my beloved dragon's passing, followed by _worry, concern,_ and _sympathy_ for me - as the tiny technological miracles swarmed over the entirety of the Dragon Weyr and began to _change it._ Armed with speed and determination, the tiny machines altered the framework, internal structures, and impenetrable psi-steel walls of the Dragon Weyr at a frightening pace, _morphing _thegreat structure within a matter of _hours_ from a dragon's head, into its true form: an almighty golden pyramid! Larger than even the Great Pyramid of Giza, with four curved spires extending upwards to the sky from the triangular points at its base, and topped by a great 'capstone' of the purest Khaydarin Crystal, this wasn't just _any_ pyramid.

It was in fact, a great _Protoss Nexus_ - the colossal pyramidal structure found at the heart of, and looming over, every city within the Protoss Empire! Unlike most, however, this particular Nexus was special. Built in secret by teams of highly skilled Khalai and Terran Engineers, the Nexus known as the Dragon Weyr was designed to be a home, a mobile space vessel, and the ultimate fortress. An enormous, perfectly smooth sphere of Khaydarin Crystal situated at its heart provided unfathomable amounts of psionic energy - the energy of _thought itself_ - to power everything aboard the vessel. This included the eight massive Gravitic Thrusters that enabled it to fly, to the systems that enabled life-support, to the Quantum Replicator in the kitchenette, which provided food and drink.

Its heavily armored, polymorphic psi-steel 'skin' could withstand titanic impacts, and a psionic energy shield of immense durability and power protected the entirety of its external structure. When the Dragon Weyr's internal and external transformation was complete, _resignation_ and _sadness_ filled my thoughts as I watched the final changes take place. Trillions of Nanocytes carefully cleaned the Great Fleece Pile, and then warped it into a storage bay, to allow the six sections of a semi-circular console, along with a 'pilot's chair' to raise themselves into place from the center of the main room's floor. It was in this chair that I seated myself as the great Holo-screen opposite the lounge activated and began displaying multiple star charts, from which I could pick any destination.

A feeling of _questioning_ filled my thoughts, then, and I chuckled before answering, "Oh, how about... _first star on the right and straight on 'till morning..." _A mixture of _sadness, resignation_, _understanding_, and faint _amusement _filled my thoughts as the Dragon Weyr complied. The phrase I'd used - once spoken by the fictional Starship Captain, James Tiberius Kirk - was the command to launch and just travel _anywhere_, until we reached the nearest habitable planed at a random destination far, far away from Aiur and all it represented. As its immense Gravitic Thrusters ignited, and the Dragon Weyr began its ascent into the sky, the few Protoss who were awake that morning to see it happen bowed and shook their heads in sorrow. In their hearts, they knew... that I was making to depart Aiur... forever.

As the Dragon Weyr rose gracefully up through the clouds, through Aiur's atmosphere, and then out into space, I leaned back into the navigation chair, closed my eyes, and smiled. I travelled through space in the Dragon Weyr for almost twenty years - but one year to me - and during that time, I buried the anger and grief I felt at my Lifemate's passing, by simply _living. _By night, I slept in the primary bed within the Sleeping Alcove, just off from the _Weyrheart_. Although reasonably sized - with a fitted mattress sheet and a soft, luxurious, down-filled duvet - after having slept so long beneath the warm, musty comfort of my dragon's wings, I found sleeping in it difficult. My nights were often sleepless and filled with nightmares; the result of the trauma I'd suffered from the breaking of our bond at Ieesha's death.

By day, I read the books that Ieesha and I had collected over the years, tinkered with this-and-that in the Office and Laboratory, and kept my martial and psionic skills sharp through simulations and missions via the Dragon Weyr's Psiodeck. Additionally, I often spent countless hours tweaking and fine-tuning the systems of the Dragon Weyr. I didn't really _need_ to do this, since the great Nexus could maintain itself, but… it seemed to _appreciate _my work. Food and drink created from its Quantum Replicator seemed to taste just that little bit better. The water I used for baths and showers was often just a little hotter than usual.

In addition, the nightmares I struggled with were instantly soothed away, as the Dragon Weyr increased my serotonin levels, placing the required compounds directly into my bloodstream via Nanocyte infusion. Finally, whenever I would tweak or optimize a particular system, or just perform general maintenance here and there to make things run just a bit better, feelings of _gratefulness_, _thankfulness_, and sometimes _relief_, would fill my thoughts. Without Ieesha there to provide companionship, living within the Dragon Weyr was sometimes difficult. Oh, I had its constant presence within my mind for company, but still… I was so _lonely._ On one particular day, during my wanderings of the Dragon Weyr's many halls and rooms, I found myself inside the huge Stellar Cartography Chamber within its Laboratory.

It was here that my beloved Ieesha had studied the mysteries of the stars and worked to unlock the secrets of the Universe. Within this place, where Ieesha had spent much of her time - as I stood in front of the massive psi-glass window that dominated the room's northernmost wall, gazing out at the starscape that she had loved so much - all the loneliness I was feeling seemed to… well up within me… Placing a hand against the glass, as if to touch the stars, I quietly rasped out, _"I miss the Earth so much; I miss my wife. It's lonely out in space. On such a timeless flight… And I think it's going to be a long, long time; 'Till touchdown brings me round again to find; I'm not the man they think I am at home, oh no, no, no. I'm a Rocket Man. Rocket Man… Burning out his fuse up here alone…" _

_Worry_ and _concern _from the Dragon Weyr filled my thoughts, then, but I didn't acknowledge it; instead I sank to the floor, tears streaming from my eyes to run down my cheeks, my body wracked with nearly silent, choked sobs as my grief overwhelmed me. At that moment, those words - from the old song, 'Rocket Man', sung by Elton John in 1972 - were so _powerful _and held so much _meaning_ for me. I really did 'miss my wife' Ieesha; I missed her terribly. Even with the presence of the Dragon Weyr, it was 'lonely out in space' and the flight did indeed seem timeless. Even worse, was the fact that there were days when I felt I truly _was_ 'burning out my fuse up here alone'; that I was dying. And yet… I continued to live. Things eventually changed for me, however, when I was awakened one day by a feeling of _alertness _from the Dragon Weyr.

Waking myself quickly, I stumbled from my bed, then made my way out of the sleeping alcove and over to the navigation console at the center of the _Weyrheart_. Bleary-eyed, I stifled a yawn, blinked, and then just _stared_ at the Holo-screen for a moment, as I tried to work out why the Dragon Weyr had awakened me. From what I could see via the massive screen, the Weyr had entered orbit around a lush, Earth-like moon - one of many natural satellites orbiting the gas giant Polyphemus - in the Alpha Centauri star system, approximately 4.37 light years from Earth. "Is this what you wanted to show me? Where are we, anyway?" I asked aloud. A_ffirmation_, and then _confusion,_ filled my thoughts; this was indeed what the Weyr wanted me to see... and it had absolutely no idea at all of where we were!

"Great!" I replied. "I asked for someplace anywhere and you did it! Awesome... Awesome job, man!" At that, _pride_ from the Dragon Weyr filled my thoughts and I chuckled softly, before using the console to manipulate the image on the Holo-screen, in order to get a better idea of where we were. "Hnnn..." I grunted as I moved the displayed image this way and that way, pausing occasionally to zoom in on particular sections, and examine sensory data. "... Looks like your average M-Class Planet... but the atmosphere's toxic as hell... nitrogen, oxygen, carbon dioxide, xenon, ammonia, methane, and hydrogen sulfide!" With another stifled yawn, I continued manipulating the image on the Holo-screen here and there... and as I did so, I was suddenly hit with a feeling of _realization, _this one completely my own.

"Holy shit... _I know this place!_" I exclaimed, "Well, not personally - I've never been here before - but, this is _Pandora! _Pandora... Damn! Score one for the Dragon Weyr!" _Happiness _and _pride_ filled my thoughts, as I began to ponder what I knew about the planet. One of the many natural satellites orbiting the gas giant Polyphemus, Pandora was a forest world - lush, tropical rainforests covered much of its continents - and it possessed less gravity than either Earth or Aiur. Its geology was strongly affected by the presence of _Unobtanium_, a mineral whose superconductive properties allowed it to float in magnetic fields. "Hah... because of that mineral, the planet was once the focus of a human-led mining expedition, sponsored by the corporate fucks of a now-defunct company called the RDA or Resource Development Authority."

At that, a snort escaped me as my face twisted into a sneer. "And it didn't last that long, either. Hah, stupid, greedy fucks were routed by the planet's indigenous people, the Na'vi. Those damn humanoid cats, along with the Worldmind of the Planet itself - something they call 'Eywa'_ - kicked them off!_"Cruel laughter escaped me then - a sound fueled by my buried anger, bitterness and grief - but that laughter eventually became choked sobs, as I moved to drop my head into my hands. A few moments later, feelings of _worry _and_ concern _brought me out of my funk and - as I wiped the tears from my eyes with my fingers, I quietly choked out, "Don'... don't worry about me, friend; I'll... I'll be okay..."

_Concern _still filled my thoughts at that - the Dragon Weyr didn't seem convinced at all - but the feeling eventually faded into a mixture of _contemplation_ and _watchfulness. _Inhaling and releasing a deep, weary sigh, I murmured, "This looks like as good a place as any to begin a new life. You can set us down... oh I don't care! Just... find a clearing in a forest and set us down there-but _please,_ make sure that wherever you set down is _far, far away from any Na'vi!_ I might not be here to mine _Unobtanium_ - as those RDA dumbfucks once were - but I don't want the Na'vi to know we're here. We'll be staying here for the foreseeable future, and I don't want those damn cats, or their _Eywa, _kicking us off!"

_Affirmation_ filled my thoughts, then, followed by a mixture of _smugness _and _superiority, _and I chuckled softly, moving to sit down in the Dragon Weyr's navigation chair. "Yeah..." I agreed, smirking with satisfaction, "... as if they _could_! You're superior to anything _they_ can muster!" _Agreement _filled my thoughts then, the image on the Holo-screen in front of me changing, as the Dragon Weyr scanned the continent we were currently passing over, and highlighted various forest clearings. As it worked, I continued, "You're '_tawtute' _and_ 'ketuwong' _technology at its finest... but what about that atmosphere? It won't be a problem for me, as a Nanocyte filter can take care of it, but it might be a problem for _you, _eventually." Finally, the Dragon Weyr completed its scans, _reassurance_ filling my thoughts as it picked a clearing in which to land, and began to descend; it would _adapt _in order toprotect me. That was what it was designed to do.

Slowly, gracefully, and _silently_, the Dragon Weyr continued its descent from orbit. When the colossal structure entered Pandora's toxic atmosphere - activating its impregnable psionic energy shield to protect against the extreme heat and turbulence of entry - I took a trip to the Medical Bay. There, I had the Dragon Weyr employ its Autodoc to install a miniature Nanocyte Filter just above the bifurcation at the lower end of my trachea. Equipped with a self-contained nest of Nanocytes, whom would always keep it clean and properly serviced, the Nanocyte Filter would remove the toxic elements of Pandora's atmosphere as I respired, allowing me to breathe there _without_ the aid of a cumbersome breathing mask! Moments before the Autodoc carefully administered a dose of Anesthezine - a general anesthetic - I thought, 'Hah! Beat _that_, RDA!'

When waking from any kind of surgery involving a general anesthetic in a Hospital on Earth, a patient might usually experience some drowsiness or disorientation, which would gradually disappear as the drug worked its way out of his or her system. I, however, was _far_ from Earth; I was in the Medical Bay aboard the uberfortress known as the Dragon Weyr, under the care of its sophisticated and powerful Autodoc. Thus, a carefully administered dose of Purge, followed sometime later by a dose of Acetykinotonin, allowed me to awaken pain-free, and without any side effects from the anesthetic, though I did feel somewhat lightheaded. That feeling, however, was a side effect of the Acetykinotonin; something I knew would pass with time.

'The side effects of anesthetic, and the pain of surgery, are a thing of the past in the Dragon Weyr! I helped _design _this place, and even now, I still think it's amazing!' _Pride_ filled my thoughts at that, and I opened my mouth to respond... but then, I was somewhat startled as I felt the joltof a safe impact with the ground. At last, the Dragon Weyr had touched down safely on the surface of Pandora! "We've landed..." I murmured. _Affirmation _filled my thoughts, followed by a feeling of _questioning, _and with a laugh, I responded, "I'm fine, my friend - or, I will be, once I've had a shower and freshened up a bit. You did a good job."

Slowly and carefully, I moved to stand up, and then - with _pride_ from the Dragon Weyr filling my thoughts - I made my way to the _Weyrheart's _bathroom, where I swiftly stripped down in preparation to shower. Before I did so, however, I paused for a moment to examine myself. As expected, I could find no scarring or other remnant of the surgery the Dragon Weyr's Autodoc had performed upon me. 'This is excellent!' I thought, smiling. 'The Nanocyte Filter will utterly nullify what is perhaps Pandora's greatest danger to me. Na'vi, wild beasts, and dangerous flora I can avoid... but that atmosphere, I can't! Now, however, I don't need to! Humph, Dragon Weyr: One. Pandora: Zero!"

Feelings of _superiority _and _smugness_ filled my thoughts as I laughed and stepped into the shower. I can't recall exactly how long I spent in the Dragon Weyr's enormous, dragon-sized shower but then again - as I washed myself and allowed the shower's high-pressure water jets to thoroughly _pound_ my body - I didn't really care. Honestly, all I _can _remember is closing my eyes and _groaning _quietly as the multiple hot-water jets of the shower seared my body, the heat of the water working its way into my muscles and turning them to little more than jelly. Afterwards, I turned off the hot-water jets, activated the shower's drying system, and then heaved a blissful sigh as the systems multiple fans blasted warm air over every inch of me.

With my post-surgery shower complete, I exited the shower, quickly dressed myself in proper clothing - which the Dragon Weyr had thoughtfully warped to my location - and then left the bathroom. 'One of the best things about this place,' I thought to myself absently as I made my way back into the main room of the _Weyrheart, _'is that I don't have to bother with _housework! _Oh, I keep the place relatively _tidy_ and keep all my things in order, but the Dragon Weyr _cleans itself_ via its countless armies of Nanocytes! For me, that means no washing, dusting, scrubbing the floors or _anything_ like that! Hell, I don't even have to wash my _clothes _as the drawers of the clothes dresser automatically _recycle and remake them_ each night!

The Dragon Weyr even keeps my Templar Robe clean and in good nick; all I have to do is place it on the mannequin each night before I sleep and it is cleaned and repaired via Nanocytes! The only things I have to maintain around here are my equipment and myself, things easily done via the bathroom and Lab! It sure beats having a _woman_ here; that's for sure. Humph... if a human woman _was_ here, I bet all she'd do is bitch and moan all day long, about how I don't do any housework! Well... _Ieesha _was a woman, and she never complained. Then again, there's nothing _to _complain about when the house you're living in maintains itself! Now then, let's see where we are...' Crashing on the leather sofa facing the Holo-screen, I commanded, "Please activate your external cameras; three-sixty degree pan, no zoom."

Immediately, the Dragon Weyr complied, and as the great Holo-screen in front of me activated, I was graced with my first view of the planet Pandora. The Dragon Weyr had touched down in what I believed to be the 'darkest heart' of Pandora: a colossal clearing surrounded by a forest so dense that I could barely see the sky through its gargantuan trees. What I _could_ see of it, however, filled me with awe. Moonlight shone in splinters through the trees, from the barest glimpses of two pale moons, etched upon a purple twilight sky. That, however, was _nothing_ when compared to what was around us: endless forest, thick and dense, comprised of trees and flora that were _utterly alien; _towering thousands of feet above the Nexus, and _glowing_ softly, with their own _bio-fluorescent light! _"Oh, my god... it's beautiful..." I murmured.

_Affirmation_ filled my thoughts as - via the seamless switching of the Dragon Weyr's multiple cameras - the view from the Holo-screen slowly panned for a full three hundred and sixty degrees around the clearing. Occasionally, the camera panning would pause at particularly dark areas and the view from the cameras would cycle slowly through different visual spectrums - Thermal, Infrared, Ultraviolet, and SONAR - as the Dragon Weyr checked said areas for anything dangerous. Luck was with us this night, however. The near-silence of the Gravitational Thrusters, coupled with the Dragon Weyr's relatively soft landing, meant that we hadn't disturbed any of the native wildlife; there was nothing in the clearing that could harm us, only a few _Prolemuris noctis _and _Fanisaurus pennatus_ high in the trees.

"Excellent..." I murmured quietly. With _agreement _and _relief_ from the Dragon Weyr filling my thoughts, I switched off the great Holo-screen with a telepathic command. Then, making my way over to the sturdy oak dresser that housed my clothes and my Lifemate's possessions, I took from atop it a beautiful antique 'singing bowl.' It was a type of bell - specifically classified as a standing bell - that I'd had made for me in the traditional manner, by a Nepalese Craftsman, in a hidden corner of Nepal, on Earth. Made of Panchaloha, a bronze alloy of copper, tin, zinc, iron, silver, gold, nickel and "sky-iron" - metal from a meteorite - the bowl was beautiful; deep bronze in colour, with the simple mantra _"Duty, Honor, Loyalty"_ engraved in Khalani around its rim. Carrying it carefully with both hands, I exited the _Weyrheart_ via the Transport Alcove and then made my way to the entryway of the Dragon Weyr.

Here, relics dating back hundreds of years were preserved in gently glittering fields of psychic power, such as the Bio-Helmet once worn by a 'Badblood' of the Yuatja Race, the still-living black cloak of a powerful Necromancer, and a necklace of shrunken skulls, once worn by the Dark Shaman, Mtumwa-Kamil-Adham. I ignored these, however, as the monumental Gate of Dawn came into view. Words alone could not describe the Gate of Dawn, the exit and entrance of the Dragon Weyr. The ceiling stretched hundreds of meters overhead, its top lost in the gently stirring white clouds formed from the steam gushing from the snouts of thousands of metal Kirathian Dragonets staring down at me, their precisely machined, though time-weathered faces set with expressions of watchfulness and solemn contemplation.

The periodically released steam from the snouts of the metal dragonets stirred the current of sweet smelling, lavender incense rising from the forty censors which lined the path of red-velvet carpet leading to the Gate itself. The glow from the light of countless Khaydarin Crystals inset within the walls caused my Templar Robe to glint and glow in such a manner as to make it appear like a cerulean wave, the ripples and contours of its motion as I moved bouncing light back into the entryway. A palpable aura of warmth and serenity filled this place, as though a part of my beloved Ieesha remained, watching over me. Pausing, I performed a kneeling bow so deep that my forehead touched the floor, in a gesture of the utmost respect to the great icon of Ieesha carved into the Gate.

Then, continuing my journey, I strode up to the Gate and stood before it. A feeling of _questioning _filled my thoughts. "Yes, my friend, I'm sure," I responded. "Please, open the Gate." At that, the Dragon Weyr deactivated its internal life-support and then, with a soft crack, the Gate of Dawn began to open. Precisely machined gears moved to shift the enormous burdens they bore, and as the gate smoothly swung outward - allowing the atmosphere of Pandora to enter the Dragon Weyr, and I to finally see where we'd landed with my own eyes - I waited, in silent contemplation. Once the gate had opened fully, I inhaled deeply - taking my first unfettered breath of the crisp, clean Pandoran air - and then, still carrying the singing bowl, I slipped off my leather sandals and passed barefoot through the Gate of Dawn, onto the surface of Pandora.

Even as I exited and began to walk away from the colossal structure, the Dragon Weyr still maintained a protective vigil over me; a smile crossed my face as it activated its psionic energy shield again, extending it out to a radius of five meters. At a distance of about three meters away from the great Nexus, I stopped. Then, sitting down in the 'lotus' position—a cross-legged sitting posture, in which the feet are placed on the opposing thighs—I placed the singing bowl down on a piece of flat rock in front of me. From a pocket of my Templar Robe, I extracted a small and rather simple, leather-wrapped wooden mallet and then—with practiced ease—I began to run the 'striking end' of said mallet around the rim of the singing bowl, again, and again, and again...

This gentle, repeated motion caused the bowl to vibrate... and soon, the near-silence of the forest in which I sat was broken by the deep and rich polyharmonic sound of the bowl, as it began to sing. Closing my eyes, breathing softly in time with my motion of running the mallet around its rim, I allowed the extraordinary sound of the singing bowl to carry me into a deep_, deep_ meditative trance_._ Then, gradually, I closed my mind to the outside world until nothing remained but the _sound_ and the _motion_ that resulted in its creation. Even though I was locked deep in this state of trance, I still maintained a kind of awareness; enough to sense the powerful psychic presence of the _Dragon Weyr, _as it commanded its Nanocytes to analyze the chemical composition of Pandora's toxic atmosphere.

When the analysis was complete, using the information gained from it, the mighty fortress would command its Nanocytes to begin the process of adapting its metallic form, such that it would eventually become impervious to the atmosphere's corrosive properties. With the command to its Nanocytes given, without intruding upon my state of trance, the great Nexus 'hovered' just at the edge of my psychic perception for a moment. Then, relaxing as much as it could without shutting down critical functions, the sentient construct joined me in meditation, aligning and harmonizing its systems to the constant, gentle sound of my beating heart. That, my friends, was how I began my new life.

During my new life on Pandora I didn't advertise my presence, I didn'ttravel or explore the world, and I made _no attempt whatsoever_ to 'go native' and live like the Na'vi; I wasn't stupid and bore no death wish! On the contrary, due to the copy of the _Pandorapedia _stored within the Dragon Weyr's Library Archive, I knew exactly how dangerous Pandora could be to the unwary; thus, the life I lived was simple, quiet, and solitary. I often spent my days and nights living within the great walls of the Dragon Weyr - it was my home, after all - but sometimes I would explore the surrounding forest and forage for human-palatable food. These trips, however, were rare; I would _always_ travel during the daytime, make sure to _conceal_ my presence and would carry my Lightstaff with me, as well as a portable Warp Beacon!

The Warp Beacon was quite a handy little device; so long as I carried it with me, the Dragon Weyr could open a small Warp Gate at my position, through which I could swiftly escape to the safety of its walls, if I were ever endangered. Additionally, during my foraging trips I would be carefully watched over by the Dragon Weyr; the great Nexus would have its Nanocytes manufacture a small _Protoss Observer,_ into which it would _shift_ part of its consciousness in order to accompany me. One day, during one of these foraging trips - some five years after the Dragon Weyr had landed on Pandora - my life changed in a small, yet significant way. That day, as I made my way throughout the forest surrounding the clearing in which I lived, by chance, I stumbled upon a bizarre _creature _lying beneath a tree.

It was a wolf-like beast with _six legs_, paws with _opposable thumbs, _and a paddle-like tail! Unlike that of a normal wolf, however, the creature's body wasn't covered with fur but with mostly black hairless skin banded with vermillion and iridescent blue. Its hairless skin appeared burnished, and its low-slung head had chitinous armor around the neck, which became amphipod plating on the back of its neck and spine. 'What... _is_ this creature?' I thought. Upon hearing my nonverbal question, the Dragon Weyr searched swiftly through the _Pandorapedia_, sent a data burst through our psychic link... and then, finally I _knew: _this creature was a _Viperwolf - _what the Na'vi called a _Nantang - _a vicious, carnivorous predator.

Immediately, I ignited my Lightstaff and then shifted into a combat stance in preparation to defend myself... but, strangely, the Viperwolf made no move to attack me; it merely _snarled_, baring far-too-sharp obsidian teeth, and then... it _whimpered_ softly. 'Huh...? Why isn't it attacking?' I wondered. _Confusion _from the Dragon Weyr filled my thoughts - it didn't know either - and so, switching off my Lightstaff, I returned it to my belt and moved closer to the Viperwolf in order to investigate. As I stepped closer to the animal, the Viperwolf snarled at me again, but the sound wasn't threatening or even fierce; it was weak, and strained. When I crouched to examine it further, I saw why: the poor Viperwolf was horribly injured.

Bruises, cuts, slashes and deep, open sores littered its body - some of which were bleeding freely - and three of its six legs were _mutilated; _horribly twisted and mangled! At first, I thought to leave it there to die... but even as that thought filled my mind I banished it; as a High Templar it was my duty to help _anyone_ in need... even if those I helped weren't human. 'I need to help this Viperwolf. I need to become its _Pack Leader. _I need to become like... the _Dog Whisperer!' _I thought. Calling upon the mental power of my mind, I manifested it into reality as a powerful aura of _dominant, _yet _calm-assertive_ energy._ '_Now...' I thought, 'Caesar's rule was no touch, no talk, no eye contact...'

Following the rule of the Dog Whisperer, Caesar Milan, I avoided eye contact with the Viperwolf whilst silently moving to sit beside it. Then, ever so slowly, I presented an open palm to the animal; something for it to _smell_. 'Nose, Eyes, and then Ears...' I thought. As the animal smelt my scent, it whined softly for a moment in confusion. Then, when it felt the dominant, yet calm-assertive energy I radiated - an energy that made its pack-animal instincts _scream_** 'ALPHA WOLF' **- it licked softly at my palm in a gesture of submission. At that point, I knew that watching all those episodes of 'The Dog Whisperer' on Austar's Bio Channel had paid off! 'Well, what do you know?' I thought. 'It worked!' Slowly turning to look at the Viperwolf - which was now lying before me in a _calm-submissive_ state - I pulled my Medical Kit from a pocket of my Templar Robe.

Opening the Kit, I took from it a Stasis Collar, a Hypospray, and a special vial filled with a drug called _Suspend._ Fitting the vial into the Hypospray, I carefully adjusted its settings and then 'introduced' the Medical Instrument to the animal; I allowed the Viperwolf to smell it and then ran the Hypospray this way and that way over the animal's body. Once the animal had become used to the 'feel' of the Medical Instrument, I pressed the Hypospray gently but firmly against a spot just below the Viperwolf's neck armor, and then pressed the trigger on the back of its triangular head. Immediately, there was a soft 'chuff' from the instrument as the Hypospray painlessly injected the drug through the wolf's epidermis, directly into its blood, via a microscopic aerosuspension stream.

Using my psionic abilities, I carefully monitored the wolf's vital signs. When I felt them begin to slow - a sign that the _Suspend _was starting to take effect - I gently wrapped the Stasis Collar around the body of the Viperwolf, and activated it. Both drug and collar would work in tandem to keep the Viperwolf in a state of biological stasis, allowing it to survive the rigors of a brief trip through the Warp. Telepathically commanding the Dragon Weyr to prepare the Medical Bay for a critical patient, I pulled a spare Warp Beacon from a pocket of my robe, activated it, and then attached it to the animal's body. _"Warp this Viperwolf to the Medical Bay and place it in the Autodoc - STAT!"_ I uttered softly in Khalani. Immediately, the Dragon Weyr complied.

Locking onto the coordinate data broadcast by the active Warp Beacon, the great Nexus opened a small Warp Gate around the injured Viperwolf, and then I sighed with relief as the animal was pulled through it in a blaze of cerulean light. The Autodoc could be used to treat patients of any size up to that of my Lifemate, Ieesha; it would have no trouble accommodating the critically injured Viperwolf. The amazing machine would be able to stabilize the animal's condition and treat the majority of its wounds. '... Leaving me free to worry about his legs...' I thought. 'Hnnn... If they're too ruined for the Autodoc to fix, then I'll have to amputate them and replace them with new Bio-System cybernetic replacements; nothing to worry about there, as I can make those easily from the Viperwolf's anatomical data with the Cybernetics Facility in the Lab.'

With this thought in mind, I activated my own Warp Beacon. Immediately the Dragon Weyr opened a Warp Gate at my location, and I stepped through it into the safety of the _Weyrheart._ Once the Warp Gate closed itself behind me, I removed the Medical Kit and other items from the pockets of my Templar Robe, and then placed said robe on the mannequin next to the dresser. With that done, I removed my Utility Belt from about my waist, placed it atop the dresser and then swiftly made my way from the main room of the _Weyrheart _to the Medical Bay. There, I quietly took a seat in front of the Autodoc and carefully examined the Viperwolf within it, noting that the powerful medical device was already beginning to stabilize the animal's condition and treat its wounds. "So," I enquired softly, "will he be all right?"

A mixture of _caution _and _optimism _filled my thoughts, followed by _reassurance._ At this, I sighed softly with relief; the Dragon Weyr was sure that the Viperwolf would be fine, but was going to proceed carefully and take its time with the animal's treatment just in case. "Thank you, my friend; it's good to know that my efforts to rescue him weren't in vain!" I replied, smiling. Soon, however, my smile became a concerned frown as I cast my gaze over the animal's three mutilated legs. "Hmm, what about those legs of his? Do you think they'll need to be amputated?" At my questions, _consideration_ filled my thoughts as the Dragon Weyr directed the Autodoc to perform a deep scan of the limbs in question... and then, a few moments later - when the results of said scan were sent to me via psychic data burst - I shook my head in sadness.

With their bones broken in multiple places and the flesh ruined beyond even the skill of the Autodoc to heal, the three ravaged legs of the Viperwolf were indeed irreparable, and so - bowing my head in sorrow - I solemnly gave the order to amputate the limbs. A mixture of _affirmation,_ _sorrow, _and _misery _filled my thoughts as the Dragon Weyr activated a powerful Surgical Laser... Then, within moments, it was done; swiftly, and painlessly, the offending limbs were severed and sent to the Waste Disposal System, where they would be turned from waste material into usable energy. With the amputation procedure complete, only three neatly cauterized stumps remained as evidence that the damaged limbs had ever been a part of the Viperwolf's body.

It took roughly several weeks for the Autodoc to treat the Viperwolf's grievous injuries. During that time, the great Nexus probed, scanned, and analyzed the animal so thoroughly that I had physiological and psychological data on it flowing out of my ears! Using said data I could literally have determined where every Viperwolf on Pandora lived, what they did, and what they ate for breakfast, lunches, dinner, and snacks on the side. I didn't, of course; I simply used the data to create a set of three new legs for "my" Viperwolf, whom I eventually learned was a male of the species. The three new legs I designed and fabricated for him were works of _art_; they were Bio-System Cybernetic Organisms - literally _living machine parts_ for his body!

Each leg consisted of a Nanocyte-grown psi-steel skeleton to which organic muscles, tendons, cartilage, and nerves were attached, along with the veins that would supply them with the creature's blood. The organic components of the new legs were all cloned and grown using the Viperwolf's own genetic material - even the new skin that covered them - and the presence of the three legs' psi-steel skeletons would be taken care of by an adjustment of the animal's immunogenicity. Thus, I didn't need to worry about the three new legs being rejected by the animal's body. The three new legs would be permanently connected to the body of the Viperwolf via an interface that was partly biotechnological, and partially psionic in nature; the animal would be able to use the new bio-system legs as if they were, and had always been, part of his body.

He wouldn't even know that they weren't his original legs or even that the originals were gone; to him, it would be as if he'd _never had his original legs amputated at all! _When the new legs were finally complete - as they lay within their specially designed cold storage container, on one of the Laboratory's many workbenches, awaiting transport to the Medical Bay - I gave them a final examination. "Hmmm... Nope, I can't see anything wrong with them, at all. I designed them well, and you built them according to my specs, so there shouldn't be any defects or problems. What do you think?" _Concentration_ filled my thoughts as - via my eyes and its many cameras - the Dragon Weyr examined the Viperwolf's new legs itself, in far more detail than I ever could, as it checked them for any defects that otherwise might have been missed.

Suddenly, a feeling of _concern_ filled my thoughts... and then a series of _images_ ran through my mind somewhat like a short film: the Viperwolf taking its first steps with its new legs and then falling over on its side because the legs were too heavy! "You're concerned about their _weight?_" I asked. When _affirmation_ filled my thoughts, I burst into laughter! I laughed, and laughed, and laughed for perhaps five minutes or more; something I hadn't done at all since Ieesha's death. However, when _irritation_ from the Dragon Weyr filled my thoughts, I soon came to my senses and - still chuckling softly - I responded, "Oh, come on, don't be silly! The skeletons of those legs weigh only as much as the carbon fiber bones of his original organic ones; you know _that!_ I designed them using the data _you _gave me!'Not too heavy, not too light; they're Just Right!'"

At my response, _affirmation_ and _agreement_ filled my thoughts... but then, as I recited the slightly modified catchphrase of the Kellogg's' 'Just Right' Commercial I was hit with a huge burst of _amusement _as_ - _in its own way - the _Dragon Weyr_ cracked up laughing! Together, the great Nexus and I _howled_ with laughter, until finally I leaned heavily against a bench, gasping softly as the lights in the Laboratory visibly flickered. Afterwards - once I'd managed to regain my senses - I took a huge breath and then quietly uttered, "Thank you so much; I haven't had this much fun since, well... you know..." A mixture of _agreement _and _affection_ filled my thoughts at that, soon followed by a feeling of _urgency_.

"Yeah, you're right" I agreed, "let's finish treating the Viperwolf and get these legs on him. You want to take them to the Medical Bay via Warp Gate, or should I carry them myself?" The Dragon Weyr answered my question by directing a cloud of its Nanocytes to form into a Gravitic Sled, a simple device used for manual transport of delicate equipment. "Alright then, manual transport, it is..." I murmured quietly. Loading the storage container housing the legs onto the newly made transport device, I secured it, and then simply walked to the Medical Bay, pushing the Sled in front of me. Once I arrived at the Medical Bay, I moved the storage container housing the legs off the Gravitic Sled and placed it in the Autodoc.

Carefully, the machine positioned the still-anesthetized Viperwolf onto its back before removing the legs from the container and moving them into position for attachment, directly over the bared, cauterized stumps of the old. The rest, they say, is history, and from then on, it was; once the Viperwolf and his new legs were in the correct positions for the surgery to commence, the Autodoc _undid_ the cauterization work it had previously performed! Then, before the animal's leg-stumps could even _begin_ to bleed, the machine adjusted the animal's immunogenicity, and then painlessly attached the new legs to the Viperwolf via Nanocyte-assisted quantum bonding; _steel _to_ bone _and_ flesh _to_ flesh. _"Hnnn... That went well," I said quietly.

At that, a mixture of _affirmation_ and _relief _filled my thoughts, as the Autodoc gave the Viperwolf a shot of _Purge_ to flush the anesthetic from its system. The successful surgery to give the Viperwolf new legs, and a far better quality of life, ended the animal's medical treatment. "So... what now?" I wondered. "Are you going to wake him up?" _Negation_ filled my thoughts. "So you'll monitor him - in case something should go wrong - and let him wake up naturally, then" I stated. When the _negation_ I was feeling turned to _affirmation,_ I nodded. "Well, alright," I responded. "I just hope he won't attack me when he wakes up in an unfamiliar place..." At my response, I expected the Dragon Weyr to reply with a mixture of _agreement_ and _apprehension..._ but instead, my thoughts were filled with _reassurance_ and _trust._

I chose to stay there, in the Medical Bay, whilst I waited for the now fully healed Viperwolf to awaken. During that time, I pottered about the place - I kept an eye on the animal, checked inventory, wrote in my personal journal, and generally kept myself busy. About three days after the animal's successful surgery, as I lay sleeping in a small cot next to the Autodoc, I was awakened by the sound of a soft, almost canine-like _bark. _Opening my eyes, I slowly sat up_,_ turned to face the Autodoc and found - to my delight - that the Viperwolf was awake within it, just _looking at me_ as he lay on his side. However, instead of the disorientation and fear I'd expected... all I could see expressed within the emerald-hued eyes of the Viperwolf was _confusion. _

For a moment, all was still within the Medical Bay - he and I didn't move, blink, or even _breathe_ - but then, the stillness was broken as the Viperwolf turned his head this way and that way, examining his repaired body and new legs. When he deemed his self-examination complete, sitting doglike on his haunches, he returned his attention to me, an oddly canine-like questioning whine escaping him. For a supposedly vicious, carnivorous predator of Pandora, his behavior was somewhat _odd. _A feeling of suspicion filled my being, then, and I turned my attention to the Dragon Weyr. 'Whilst you were treating his wounds, you didn't do _anything else_ to him, did you?' I wondered.

Almost immediately, a feeling of _innocence_ filled my thoughts, which only confirmed my suspicions that the Dragon Weyr had indeed done something to the animal, but before I could question the great Nexus further, the Viperwolf - unhappy at my silence - barked softly again, in order to regain my attention. In his own way, the animal had asked a question... and now, he was waiting for an answer. Feeling somewhat nervous, I swallowed some saliva to moisten my suddenly dry throat, before awkwardly responding, "It's all right; you... you don't need to be afraid, okay? This is a safe place. I... _I_ brought you here. I found you in the forest outside. You... you were hurt, badly. I brought you here, to help you - to heal you..."

Upon hearing my words, the Viperwolf cocked its head in a sign of clear confusion. 'Well, _that_ was useless!' I thought, moving to lie down on the cot again. 'Why the hell did you do _that_, genius? It's an animal; it can't understand you at all! Even worse, it's a _predator; _you can't just walk up to it and _talk,_ like that black cop did to Jackie Chan's character in "Rush Hour!" Heh... "You understand English? _Can you understand the words comin' outta my mouth?_"' I laughed softly to myself at these silly thoughts... but then, my laughter became a choked off shout, as the Viperwolf leaped out of the opened Autodoc and landed atop me! The animal _stared_ at me and I gazed back at it, calm and unafraid.

"Go on... kill me, then," I uttered softly. "Death would be a release,compared to the life I'm living now. I'll be with Ieesha again, and finally be free of the horrible _void_ in my head..." With those words - the last I would ever speak - I bared my throat to the animal, and then waited to feel the tightening of those obsidian-toothed jaws upon my neck. With a deep, rumbling growl, the Viperwolf opened its obsidian jaws wide... but instead of suffocating me, and breaking my neck as I expected it to do, the creature _gently_ closed its jaws about my throat, drawing only the tiniest drop of blood. Then, after licking away the blood with its tongue - which felt like the warmest, softest, and wettest sandpaper - it laid down on me and proceeded to _lick my face!_

The feeling of the creature's tongue upon my skin _tickled! _"Arrgh... ha, ha, ha... stop it!" I laughed, attempting to push its jet-black muzzle away with my hands, but the Viperwolf didn't stop, at all; it just licked at my _hands, _worming its tongue between my fingers! Finally, when the animal relented and ceased its licking, it rested its head on my chest and sighed softly through its nose. As the Viperwolf continued to rest atop me, I brought a hand up and slowly ran it along the animal's back, feeling the smooth texture of the creature's skin. "You... you _aren't_ going to kill me, are you?" I murmured softly in wonderment, half to it and half to myself. In response to my words, the Viperwolf _wuffed_ softly. "You know..." I said quietly, "you're very lucky to be alive. I think... that I will call you _Falkor..."_

And that, dear readers, was how the Viperwolf, Falkor, entered my life. I later learned that the Dragon Weyr _had_ done something to him during treatment; it had psychically _influenced _him -reining in many of his predatory instincts - to allow his natural intelligence to emerge. Falkor was no longer one of Pandora's vicious pack predators; he was gentle and kind, and displayed behavior and loyalty comparable to that of a domestic canine. His _intelligence_, however, was powerful and somewhat frightening, eerily similar to that of a _Mabari War Hound, _the _fictional_ canine from the Computer Game, 'Dragon Age: Origins!' This, however, didn't change my view of him, for as I continued to live my simple life on Pandora, Falkor proved to be a stalwart companion and loyal friend.

My provision of aid to the animals of Pandora didn't end with Falkor, however, because my loyal Viperwolf turned out to be quite the _seeker_ and he would often guide me throughout Pandora's forests to wounded animals in need of medical treatment! He never took any of them as prey - he had grown spoiled due to living with me in the Dragon Weyr - but instead, he would sit and look pitifully at me until I either broke out my Medical Kit, or sent whatever animal he'd found away to the Autodoc. A pair of Fan Lizards _without_ their unique fans; a crippled Hexapede with only three legs; a blind _Pa'li_; a female Viperwolf heavy with pups; a _deaf_ Forest Banshee; a Mountain Banshee with a broken wing - even a mighty _Sturmbeast_ with a _toothache_ of all things.

Thanks to my Viperwolf, Falkor, I was able to find and aid them, and many, many more. Although I became a veterinarian to the animals of Pandora, I knew the natural order of things: animals hunted each other for food and were also hunted by the Na'vi. Thus, if I happened upon a pack of Viperwolves bringing down prey, or a Na'vi hunter stalking a _Yerik, _for example, I did _not_ interfere! Instead, the animals I helped were often the 'survivors' of such hunts – 'the ones that got away.' I also aided animals that had suffered accidents whilst living their lives, such as _Pa'li_ and _Yerik_ that had fallen into pits or ravines whilst attempting to outrun predators. Treating the animals of Pandora was... therapeutic... for me.

It was something I could _do,_ something on which I could utterly focus myself - and doing so allowed me to finally _relax_ and let go of a little more of my grief at the loss of my beloved Ieesha. As I relaxed, so too did the Dragon Weyr; it no longer snapped its impregnable shield into place whenever I left the safety of its walls to meditate, or followed me via its manufactured _Observer _when I went foraging_, _trusting that I and Falkor could keep each other safe. Moreover, whenever we returned to the safety of its walls after a long day of helping sick and injured animals, the great Gate of Dawn would _always_ be open. As with all things, however, I couldn't save _every_ animal I encountered.

Some of the animals to which Falkor guided me possessed wounds far too grievous for me to treat. A _Pa'li_ stallion savaged by a _Palulukan;_ the elderly, arthritic Alpha of Falkor's old pack; a _Pa'li_ mare who'd struggled so hard to birth her only foal; another male Viperwolf, gored by the horns of another mighty Sturmbeast; a majestic Mountain Banshee with a smashed spine... In such situations, I often had to perform a mercy killing... and each time I did so, I _wept _as I uttered a soft prayer to Adun; that He might guide their spirits safely to the next life. Some of the animals Falkor found were even too wounded for the _Dragon Weyr_ to aid - the great Nexus was deeply pained when a _Yerik, _whose body had been inexpertly pierced by an inexperienced _Na'vi_ hunter, had expired within its _Autodoc._

However_, _with each animal that the Dragon Weyr and I managed to save, our knowledge of animal medicine grew, and soon the great Nexus and I were saving far more animals, with only the occasional loss of life. Each animal saved - and even each animal lost - was a valuable lesson learned. These lessons did not come without sacrifice, however. As I dedicated more and more of myself to the physical skills of medicine, and the mental abilities of the psionicist - especially, those abilities that dealt with the healing of the _animus_ and the physical body - my skills of martial combat began to wane. I didn't view this as a loss, however; on the contrary - as my martial skills slackened and faltered - I felt a sense of _freedom _that I'd never felt before, because I felt that I was becoming a _true _High Templar.

No longer would I be a bizarre hybrid between warrior and psionicist; I would instead be one of the few honored and revered veteran warriors of the Protoss Empire who had set aside the ways of martial combat in order to better command the mighty psychic powers of his race. 'Heh, you can take a Protoss from Aiur, but you can't take Aiur from the Protoss...' I thought absently. It was true, I realized, for although the Protoss had betrayed me, I was still a citizen of Aiur - still a member of the Akilae Tribe of the Templar Caste. Through living my simple life on Pandora and working with the planet's animals, however, I was starting to understand what that all _meant, _and what the very essence of _being_ a High Templar was. "High Templar" wasn't just a rank, or a fancy title. To become a High Templar... was to embrace an _entirely new way of life._

To become a High Templar... was to abandon utterly the ways of mundane combat in order to command and control a power so awesome that it was utterly terrifying. To become a High Templar... was to embrace the _true essence_ of the _Khala_ in order to control said power, so as not to cause untold chaos. To become a High Templar... was to learn and be well versed in the ways of medicine in order to heal the sick and repair the injured. To become a High Templar... was to embrace the ways of peace, compassion, and mercy, yet stand ever vigilant and watchful for the threat of war. I - David Boucher, formerly of Earth and Aiur, and now of Pandora - became this all. Priest of Adun, Healer of the Sick, Psychic Warrior, _High Templar. _This spiritual journey wasn't made alone, however.

Many of the animals that the Dragon Weyr and I healed were eventually able to return to the wilderness of Pandora, but - strangely - many chose to stay with me and live within the Dragon Weyr, or within the clearing in which it resided! The formerly blind _Pa'li_ whose sight I had restored, the female Viperwolf and her six pups, the _Yerik_ to whom I'd given three new legs, the Fan Lizards, the deaf Forest Banshee, and the great Mountain Banshee whose broken wing I'd had to replace _all chose to stay. _Food wasn't a problem at all - the Dragon Weyr could provide whatever each animal required for sustenance - but some had particular needs, or required special care, due to their medical conditions. With assistance from the _Pandorapedia_ in the Dragon Weyr's Library Archives, I learned how to feed and care for them all.

Despite the fact that this strange menagerie all lived together, none of the animals attacked each other, for the Dragon Weyr had _influenced _them all during treatment. I named the female Viperwolf Atreyu. Eventually, she accepted Falkor as a Mate and as a surrogate Father to her pups. As a precaution, I had said pups - three females and three males, whom I named Keewan, Anaya, Ieesha, Jack, Dalton, and Trigger - spayed and neutered. The _Pa'li,_ I named Beauty - after one of the only horses I knew - and the Forest and Mountain Banshees became Leaf and Cloud respectively. The _Yerik _I named Majestic, for obvious reasons, and the two Fan Lizards earned the names Hop and Skip.

The animals saw me as their caretaker, and since its mighty walls and impregnable shield could easily protect them from other _wild_ animals, the entire menagerie viewed the Dragon Weyr as a place of food and shelter. Moreover, I equipped all of 'my' animals with a Warp Beacon, and all learned to open the glowing blue portal of a Warp Gate as an escape from any Na'vi who might hunt them. During nights - when my menagerie and I all crowded together on the restored Great Fleece Pile to sleep - the feeling of their warmth surrounding me was a comfort and a blessing. 'Heh,' I thought, just before drifting off to sleep one night, 'I've become Pandora's version of Doctor Doolittle...' Another five years passed, and during that time, the Dragon Weyr finished adapting itself to Pandora's atmosphere.

Once that was done, however - to my surprise and delight - the great Nexus expanded in size as it turned its simple Medical Bay into a proper facility for the short and long-term treatment of animals. Additionally, the Nexus created 'nests', outcroppings, and perches all about and within its external structure where the Fan Lizards Hop and Skip, and the recent additions to the menagerie - a pair of _Prolemuris_ and a young _Tetrapteron_ - could live. Due to _jealousy_ of Pandora's bioluminescent flora, the great Nexus even had its Nanocytes insert dozens of Khalani glyphs into the surface of its polymorphic psi-steel skin. These beautiful, delicate, and highly intricate glyphs were all manufactured from Khaydarin Crystal and, during nights, they _glowed_ with the brilliant, cerulean light of absorbed local psi-energy.

Finally, the Dragon Weyr set about creatingsome _additional buildings_ around itself! These additional external structures-each powered via their own internal Khaydarin Crystal Pylon, with backup Psionic Conduits connected to the Dragon Weyr-were _extensions_ of the mighty Nexus. Two of them would serve as nests and stables for Beauty, Majestic, Leaf, and Cloud, whilst another three would serve as shelter for other animals, either those whom I would eventually release, or those whom chose to stay. The final - and perhaps the strangest - addition to the odd group of creatures I fondly dubbed 'the menagerie', was a female _Palulukan_! This animal, however, was no top predator; she was elderly, covered with countless scars, and was sick with crippling arthritis and a terrible infection stemming from a mouth full of cracked, ruined teeth.

Via a specially formulated treatment of pharmaceutical medicines, combined with psychic healing, I was able to cure the poor _Palulukan _ofthe infection. Then, extensive follow-up surgery and dental work enabled me to save most of her teeth, but I had to remove those that were too damaged, and these I replaced with false teeth built from deathless-calm-crafted, obsidian-coated psi-iron! After that, extensive work with a Dermal Regenerator served to remove the worst of her many scars. The one thing I couldn't truly cure was the _Palulukan's _arthritic joints. However, through a weekly regimen of acupuncture performed with specially designed needles, therapeutic psychic massage, and regular exercise to keep her joints mobile, I was able to reduce the crippling pain of her arthritis and greatly improve her quality of life.

The first time I had performed the acupuncture, and then the massage, on the _Palulukan _was perhaps the most rewarding for me, for it served to reinforce the belief that what I was doing for the animals of Pandora was definitely _right. _Lowering her massive head to rest between her forepaws, the elderly predator had closed her eyes and visibly relaxed, the tension seeming to _drain_ out of her as she heaved a whimpering-sigh of utter _relief. _The psychic _influence _of the Dragon Weyr had turned the _Palulukan_ from a vicious predator into a kind of benign, though somewhat grumpy and surely giant housecat. Improving the animal's quality of life, however, seemed to improve her disposition.

Although I was still the primary caretaker and _Alpha_ of the menagerie - and the _Palulukan_ saw and respected me as such - the great animal became the menagerie's _Beta, _its second in command. No longer a vicious predator, her nature reflected my own - kind, quiet, and _calm-assertive _- andthe animal proved to be of tremendous help when tending to animals away from the safety of the Dragon Weyr. This particular _Palulukan_ was _no longer _a 'dry-mouth-bringer-of-fear'; on the contrary, the mere presence of the huge animal at my side served to _calm_ even the most frightened creature. Additionally, although quite old and unable to hunt as well as her younger kin, the _Palulukan _had many, many years of life left yet and was still _immensely_ fast and strong! Eventually, I learned to ride upon her back through the forests.

Learning to ride the enormous, Pandoran predator wasn't easy; not at all. I ended up designing a special saddle harness that she could wear in order to facilitate this, but the first prototypes of said harness weren't very well made, or comfortable to sit in for long periods of time. To further complicate things, I had to learn to anticipate her movements such that I could adjust my body to compensate whilst remaining seated. Riding the Palulukan wasn't at all like flying with Ieesha and at first I suffered many knocks, bumps, bruises and near-falls! Eventually, though, after designing, and testing, and then redesigning many prototypes, I finally developed a special combination harness and saddle that worked beautifully.

I could have gone 'high-tech' with the design - employing powerful gravity belts, and psychic force fields - but I chose not to, instead opting for a more traditional design using silver psi-steel and dark brown, fleece-lined, replicated leather. The harness and saddle were similar to those that the cowboys of the old west used for horse riding. Three heavy-duty leather straps, attached via industrial strength metal clips to a newly designed, stronger Utility Belt, ensured that I would remain safely seated within it no matter what happened. Additionally, the harness also possessed "hard points"; places where I could attach saddlebags filled with supplies, additional field medical equipment, and even a sleeping bag if needed!

As weeks turned into months, the _Palulukan _developed affection towards me that was near motherly in nature! If I ever became so busy with my work that I neglected to eat, she would _know_ and would bump and nudge me with her snout to push me away from whatever I was involved with, before herding me into the _Weyrheart's _kitchenette, whereupon she wouldn't let me leave until I ate a proper meal! Sometimes, when I would stay up late working, and would neglect to shower or bathe before sleep, the _Palulukan _would herd me away from whatever I was doing and over to the Fleece Pile, whereupon she would gaze sternly at me until I stripped to my boxers and laid down to sleep.

At that point, she would curl her body about my own and then _lick-groom me clean _with her tongue, as if I were her _kit! _Unsurprisingly, her tongue was similar to that of a cat - somewhat like coarse, warm and moist sandpaper - but she was amazingly gentle whenever she groomed me, and seemed to know instinctively that my skin wasn't like her tough, leathery hide. The first time she'd done it, her grooming had felt somewhat uncomfortable and I had felt no small amount of shame and embarrassment at being treated like a child! That hadn't stopped her from doing it again, however... and again, and again... so much so, in fact, that I eventually came to accept it.

Now, I actually _looked forward_ to her nightly grooming sessions for they served as a bath, a full-body massage and an aid to send me into a deep, peaceful dreamless sleep, accompanied by the soft, soothing sound of her _purring. _It was this deep, motherly affection she gave to me, that finally enabled me to give _her_ something in return: a name. I gave the calm, gentle _Palulukan_ the name _Sa'nok -_ a Na'vi word meaning Mother. Of a morning, I would awaken at the break of dawn with _Sa'nok_ curled around me. After getting up and dressing myself, I would head out of the Dragon Weyr with _Sa'nok_, Falkor, Atreyu and the pups - whom were now a pack of young adults - following in my wake.

Once outside, I would employ my Singing Bowl to aid me in entering a state of meditation for an hour. During this time, the Dragon Weyr would join me in meditation and, strangely, so would _Sa'nok_, Falkor, Atreyu, and the Pack. After my morning meditation, I would stretch, and then perform some gentle Tai Chi, before heading inside to the kitchenette to prepare breakfast for all of us. Said breakfast usually consisted of an earth breakfast cereal, hot beverage, and toast for me, and bowls filled with the finest quality raw meats for the others. Afterwards, I would prepare appropriate foodstuffs and then head outside whereupon I would feed Beauty, Majestic, Leaf, and Cloud before proceeding to clean their stables and nests and fill them with fresh bedding.

Hop and Skip - and the _Prolemuris_ and _Tetrapteron - _could mostly take care of themselves, but I did occasionally leave small treats of _teylu_ grubs and other foods where they could find them. With breakfast done and my menagerie fed, I would head back inside to first check and stock my upgraded Field Medical Kit, and then harness _Sa'nok_ and load her many saddlebags with whatever food and medical supplies I might need that day. Then, with Falkor guiding us, _Sa'nok_ and I would ride forth into the forests of Pandora in search of animals to aid. The days were long and tiring, but ultimately rewarding; sometimes we would encounter as few as two animals that I could treat quickly in the field, whilst other times we would find whole hosts of animals needing urgent medical treatment in the Autodoc_. _

However, I hear you ask, 'how did you manage to do this without attracting the attention of the Na'vi?' Well, as I stated, the Dragon Weyr had set down in a place where there were relatively few, if any, Na'vi. Additionally, those Na'vi I _did_ manage to catch a glimpse of kept well away when _Sa'nok_ and I were making our way through the forests. Why? Well... would _you_ be stupid enough to attack a _tawtute_ insane and powerful enough to _befriend_ and _ride_ a dreaded _Palulukan? _No? I thought not. Time marched ever onward, as it always does. All was relatively fine, until one day, when things became... very complicated. That day, as _Sa'nok_ and I were making our way quietly through the forests we soon heard the distinctive _"Aroo! Aroo! Aroo!"_ that was Falkor's beagle-like cry of _"I found something!"_

Immediately, I thought to _Sa'nok, _'That's Falkor, and he's found another in need of help; let's go!' The keen ears of my _Palulukan_ friend swiveled to track my Viperwolf's distinctive cry... and then we were away, _Sa'nok_ moving and sometimes leaping through the trees! When we reached our destination, _Sa'nok_ slowed to a stop, and I whistled to Falkor. As always, my Viperwolf friend was pleased to see me; he _barked_ happily and then darted over to _Sa'nok _and I before racing back to stand protectively before whatever it was he'd found. Gently sliding from the back of my _Palulukan _to the ground, I broke out my Field Medical Kit and then, with _Sa'nok _following beside me, I swiftly moved to where Falkor was standing.

When I saw what it was that he'd found, however, my heart dropped into my stomach and for a moment, _my breath froze in my throat_... because what Falkor had found was _not_ another animal! There, laying face down in the grass - a few feet away from where my Viperwolf stood - was one of the _Na'vi! _At that point, only one thought filled my mind. 'Oh, crap... it's just going to be one of those days...' Pushing the thought from my mind, I gestured for Falkor to move aside. When he did so, I moved myself beside the Na'vi and then, pulling a powerful hand-held psiotechnological Medical Scanner from my Field Medical Kit, I knelt to examine it.

The Na'vi was female, and - at first - appeared atypical of her species. She was humanoid, but also possessed features not unlike that of a feline; I could clearly see her pointed, catlike ears and the long sweeping tail that grew from the base of her spine. Her waist was narrow and elongated, and she had very wide shoulders, which made her upper back appear V-shaped. Sharply defined musculature gave no sense of emaciation, despite her thin proportions, and she had four fingers on each hand and four toes on each foot. Long, thick, luxurious hair on her head protected her _tswin_ - the neural "queue" protruding from the base of her skull - and her body was covered with smooth, iridescent, cyan-coloured skin, accentuated with slightly darker cyan stripes.

That was where her appearance as a typical Na'vi ended because, as I examined her further, I beheld a startling discovery. 'Hold on a moment...' I thought, reviewing the data from the scanner as it entered and merged with my thoughts. 'This Na'vi _seems _like a typical adult - she has all the right _parts_ that make her so, and the scanner's telling me that she's the correct _human _biological age to _be_ of _Na'vi _adult age - but she's just slightly smaller than I am. This young, Na'vi female... has _dwarfism!' _In addition to this, however, I also discovered - to my dismay - that the beautiful cyan colour of her skin was broken by purple bruising that ranged from mild to severe; she'd been _beaten_, brutally. "Humph..." I murmured quietly, "so much for the Na'vi being the perfect people..."

Apart from the bruising, the young Na'vi seemed to have no other injuries. For this, I was thankful because, whilst my knowledge of Pandoran Veterinary Medicine was great, I knew practically nothing at all about Na'vi physiology. Now, however, I found myself in somewhat of a quandary, for although she was injured, this Na'vi posed a _massive _risk to my menagerie and the life I was living now. 'Damn it... all it takes her freaking out and making _Tsaheylu_ with a tree, and _Eywa_ - along with _every Na'vi on the planet_ - will know I'm here!' I thought, angrily. 'If that happens... then I _and_ my menagerie are _finished_! That fucking Worldmind will stomp us all flat. I know it will - I've seen the video archives of what it had its animal life do to the RDA - and I don't want _that_ fate to befall us... ever!'

Getting to my feet, I quietly moved away from the Na'vi female and then began to pace back and forth, thinking. 'Shit and damnation! What do I do? What the hell do I do?' Oh, how I _wished_ my mentor, High Templar Zhand'Akull, were here at this moment, for he was far older than I and incredibly wise, and I could have sought his advice in this matter. Unfortunately, he _wasn't_ here and so, in desperation, I turned to the only being that was - the _Dragon Weyr. _'Please, help me! What should I do, friend? Should I treat her injuries and then leave her here? Should I take her back to your Clinic for better treatment, and in doing so, risk revealing you and myself to _Eywa _and the Na'vi? Or should I... should I kill her? It would definitely keep us safe...' At _that_ choice, via our psychic bond, the Dragon Weyr _slammed_ me with a blast of _NEGATION!_

"Ai, ai, ai, shit, okay, okay, yes, bad idea, _bad idea_; doing that would also bring shame and dishonor down upon myself and my Caste! It... It was just a thought; I just had to cover all the options." _Affirmation_ filled my thoughts, which soon became gentle _neutrality_ as I stated, "Well... what then? Treat her here?" _Negation_ filled my thoughts again, leaving me with the only option that I knew the Dragon Weyr would agree with - taking her back to its Clinic for proper treatment! At that, I became utterly incensed! '_**WHAT?**__ Are you __**trying **__to get us exposed to Eywa and the Na'vi? You'll get us all __**killed!' **_I raged mentally. The Dragon Weyr, obviously, didn't think so, for it soothed away my rage with deep _calm_ and then projected feelings of _reassurance_ and _trust _into my thoughts_._

Sighing in exasperation, I shook my head. "All right, _all right_" I said. "I'll fit her with a Warp Beacon; we'll bring her back to the Clinic... but if she freaks out and brings a shitload of Na'vi and animals down on us by telling _Eywa, _I'm going to dismantle you piece by piece, _got it?" _The Dragon Weyr didn't seem at all concerned by my threat; on the contrary, as I attached the Warp Beacon to the body of the young Na'vi, and then activated it, _amusement_ from the great Nexus filled my thoughts. The great construct had a right to be amused, for my threat wasn't real, but was hollow and empty; I'd threatened the Dragon Weyr with destruction many, _many_ times before, during periods of frustration and anger, but of course, I had never followed through. 'You know I wouldn't _really_ destroy you' I thought, heaving a weary sigh as I shook my head.

'If I did... I'd be losing a part of myself, and… a part of Ieesha. But… damn it, man; you drive me _nuts_, sometimes!' Mixed _affirmation_ and _sorrow_ filled my thoughts, and I sighed again before replying, 'Look, it's okay. I just... I hope you know what you're doing...' _Reassurance _and _trust_ filled my thoughts as I swiftly packed up my Medical Kit, mounted _Sa'nok_ and then whistled to Falkor as we turned to head home; I didn't feel like doing any more work today. As we slowly made our way back to the Dragon Weyr, I began to berate myself internally. 'I'm neglecting my duty, damn it; I should keep working until the day ends...' It was true, I _was_ neglecting my duties, but the shock of finding the Na'vi - and the thought that my life on Pandora might be _finished_ because of her - was too much to bear.

Upon finally reaching the Dragon Weyr, we made our way inside to the _Weyrheart_ and then, once I'd unharnessed _Sa'nok,_ and had hung her harness on its special wall-mounted rack, I _slumped_ down onto the Great Fleece Pile and rested my head in my hands with a groan. "I... I think we're fucked, guys. I honestly think we're _fucked_. When that Na'vi wakes from treatment... if she freaks, we're finished; it's all over." At that, _worry_ and _concern_ from the Dragon Weyr filled my thoughts and - sensing my mood - _Sa'nok, _Falkor, Atreyu and the Pack all draped themselves about and over me, nuzzling, and licking at me, mewling and whining softly; they, too, were worried and concerned for me.

At that, I couldn't take it anymore; I wept, quietly and bitterly, and as I did so I conveyed to them my thoughts; that everything would be okay, that I _wouldn't_ let the Na'vi and _Eywa_ destroy them, this place, and everything I had worked so hard to build here. "I won't let them have you, and the Dragon Weyr, I _won't_!" I choked out. None of my animals could speak English, of course, but they replied to me in their own way, barking, yipping, and mewling softly; they knew, and understood, and were thankful. With that, I pulled myself together; wiping the tears from my eyes with a piece of my Templar Robe, I sat up and then, leaning back against _Sa'nok's_ body, I sent a query to the Dragon Weyr. "Well," I snapped gruffly, "what's the damage?"

Sensing my mood, and knowing that I was referring to the Na'vi currently in treatment within its Autodoc, the great Nexus swiftly sent me a report via psychic data burst. Aside from the injuries that I'd already discovered whilst I'd been in the field, she also had multiple broken bones and bruised organs. "Hmm... the beating she received was worse than it seemed, eh?"Absent _affirmation_ filled my thoughts as, via the Autodoc, the Dragon Weyr busied itself with scanning, analyzing, and treating the Na'vi. "Humph. Estimated time for completion of treatment?" I asked. Privately, I thought, 'In other words, how long before you can get her the hell out of here?' Upon receiving the Nexus' answer to my question - again, via psychic data burst - a weary sigh escaped me. Treatment of the Na'vi would take several weeks.

Once again, the Dragon Weyr was going to take things slowly. "Shit... Well that's _great,_" I grumbled, "just great..." That night - despite having the warmth and comfort of part of my menagerie surrounding me - I did not sleep well, at all. I was held in the throes of a terrible nightmare - the worst I'd suffered yet - of golden-eyed, cyan-skinned, war-painted Na'vi! Whooping, and hollering with unrestrained glee, they slaughtered the beloved animals of my menagerie and tore apart the mighty walls of the Dragon Weyr, with the assistance of an army of wild animals! Despite our valiant effort at fighting back, Cloud and Leaf were the first to fall to a hail of arrows, followed by Beauty and Majestic. Hop and Skip, along with the _Prolemuris_ and _Tetrapteron,_ managed to escape, thankfully.

Falkor, Atreyu, and the Pack were the next to be slaughtered but then, as the Na'vi moved to _Sa'nok - _whom was curled protectively around me - thankfully, the nightmare ended, as I awoke with a pained cry, my heart thumping in my chest with the force of a sledgehammer! For a moment, _I couldn't remember where I was!_ A host of emerald-hued eyes stared at me - obviously belonging to the warm bodies by which I was surrounded - but what was I lying against that was actually _breathing?_ However, when I heard a soft noise - almost a purr - and then felt a warm, rough tongue remove the sweat from my forehead, I remembered... When I heard a series of distressed whines and whimpers, and then felt smaller muzzles poking curiously at me, along with the feeling of softer tongues licking here and there about my body, I remembered...

And when I felt the feelings of great _worry, _and _concern, _fill my thoughts, I remembered... I was in the _Weyrheart_, within the Dragon Weyr. I was home, with my menagerie, and the mighty walls of the Dragon Weyr still stood; the destruction of the great Nexus and the slaughter of my menagerie hadn't happened. 'It was a dream...' I thought, leaning back into _Sa'nok's_ body with a sigh as I softly caressed the heads of Falkor, Atreyu and the Pack. 'It was all just a terrible, terrible dream...' For the next several weeks, whilst the Na'vi female was in treatment, I paid no visits to the Dragon Weyr's newly expanded Clinic whatsoever, because _she_ was there and I wanted nothing to do with her. Instead, I simply continued my self-assigned duties.

By day, I continued treating the injured animals of Pandora, but my mood swung halfway between highly agitated and pensive. By night, I suffered in the grip of one horrific nightmare after another, each worse than the last; all involved either the death of my beloved Lifemate, or the destruction of the Dragon Weyr. Eventually, these nightmares became such a hindrance, that one day, _Sa'nok_ - upon sensing how tired I was - quite simply refused to let me harness her. Even worse, the Dragon Weyr refused to open its Gate! No matter how much I begged and pleaded, and then raged and screamed, the massive Gate of Dawn simply wouldn't open. It was then... that I finally just gave up; a choked sob escaped me as I pounded my fists against the indestructible gate one last time, before collapsing to the floor and curling in upon myself.

At that point, the Dragon Weyr _shifted_ me back to the Fleece Pile, whereupon _Sa'nok, _Falkor, Atreyu and the Pack curled and draped themselves about me. Then, via Nanocyte infusion, the great Nexus placed a dose of a _powerful_ sedative into my bloodstream... and finally, _finally_, I slept. I can't recall exactly how long I slept - perhaps it was for three days, or perhaps it was for an entire week - but when I next awakened, it was to the Nexus repeatedly broadcasting urgent psychic 'pings' into my head. Cracking open eyes gummed with the grit of sleep, I sat up and stretched, raising my arms high above my head as I opened my mouth in a jaw-cracking yawn. Then, leaning back into _Sa'nok's_ body again, I sleepily asked, "Whadizzit? Whazzamatter?"

'This better be important,' I grumbled privately to myself. 'If the bloody Na'vi aren't trying their best to bash down the Gate of Dawn, then I'm not going anywhere!' I had originally intended to go back to sleep after hearing what the Dragon Weyr had to say, but when I received an answer to my sleepy query, all thought of returning to sleep was banished from my mind: the Na'vi was awake. At that, I groaned quietly, and rested my head in my hands for a moment. Then, I murmured, "Ah, shit! Well, time to face the music I guess..." With that, I commanded the pack and _Sa'nok _to stay where they were, and then headed to the Dragon Weyr's new Clinic. When I arrived there, upon stepping through the entryway, I saw that the Na'vi was, indeed, awake and walking about inside the Autodoc.

Pausing, I observed her for a moment. Although her hair was still a tangled mess, the Autodoc had given her a 'psychic wash' – had literally obliterated every speck of dirt from her body – and she was completely healed, her cyan-coloured skin clean and unmarred. For a Na'vi, she was beautiful – _any_ Na'vi male would be foolish not to pick her as a potential mate – and I thanked Adun profusely that she wasn't _completely_ naked. A halter-top made from some kind of leather material – possibly Sturmbeast hide – covered her breasts, and she possessed the usual loincloth worn by all Na'vi, but said garments left little to the imagination! 'Damn… I'm glad she's wearing those garments' I thought. 'I don't think I could cope if she was_ completely_ naked.' _Amusement_ filled my thoughts than, and I grumbled, 'Yeah, yeah, laugh it up, you bolt bucket…'

I had assumed originally that she would _loathe_ being away from nature, in this place filled with so much _tawtute_ technology, but the fear and hatred I was expecting to see on her face and in her body language… wasn't there. Instead, I saw an almost childlike wonder, as she tried to gaze at everything in the Clinic at once. When her golden-eyed gaze fell upon me, however, she suddenly went very still… and then, the expression on her face turned to one of sheer awe, mixed with more than a little fear, as she softly gasped, _"Tawtute Palulukan Makto!"_ I knew only the barest smattering of her language, thanks to long hours of reading through the digital pages of the _Pandorapedia, _but what I knew was enough, for now.

'Heh… "Skyperson Palulukan Rider!" Well, it's better than "ketuwong, or "skxawng", at least!' I thought. Then, giving her a somewhat hesitant smile, I nodded, and quietly replied, "Srane. Oel ngati kameie." At that, a brilliant smile lit up the Na'vi woman's face, before she responded in kind, saying her race's greeting properly. _"Oel ngati kameie, Palulukan Makto! Oeru syaw fko Txe'lan. Fyape fko syaw ngar?"_ At that, I blinked. She'd just given me her name, Txe'lan – the Na'vi word for heart – and had asked for my own name. 'Wow…' I thought. 'I never thought that a Na'vi would be so… open and friendly. Whoops… better give her an answer…' Nodding in acknowledgement to her, I quickly replied, "Oeru syaw fko David." At that, the Na'vi woman nodded, and then repeated my name.

She pronounced it as "_Txa'vit",_ but I smiled and nodded; I didn't mind. Thus, we learned each other's names. 'And that's about the extent of my Na'vi, unfortunately. It's a start, though.' I thought. 'She seems peaceful, and appears to be far more curious than hostile. I'd better tell the Dragon Weyr to open the Autodoc, so she can come out of there…' Even as the thought entered my mind, however, the Dragon Weyr was already turning it to action. As the top of the amazing medical machine silently rose upwards to the ceiling, and its Plexiglas walls lowered themselves into the floor, the Na'vi woman, Txe'lan, watched in the Autodoc was fully open, somewhat hesitantly, Txe'lan made her way over to me and then… she wrapped her arms about me and pulled me tightly against her in an embrace.

While I stood there in utter astonishment, too stupefied to do anything, suddenly, she began to _weep _openly – her eyes misting over with tears, which ran down her face and onto my Templar Robe – as she softly uttered a single word, _"Irayo," _repeatedly. She was _thanking me_, I realized, thanking me for helping her. This female Na'vi – who I barely knew, and who had haunted me in my nightmares – was _embracing_ _me_ as she _thanked me_ for saving her! Of all the things that I had expected her to do when she awoke, I hadn't expected this… at all! Compassion rose within me and without hesitation, I wholeheartedly returned her embrace, wrapping my arms about her and rubbing softly at her back and shoulders as I whispered soft nothings into her feline-like ears.

It was then I realized that my fears of her 'freaking out' and calling down a horde of Na'vi were for naught; she _wasn't_ going to do that, not after I'd helped her! 'What were you thinking, you idiot?' I thought, berating myself internally. At that, _amusement_ from the Dragon Weyr filled my thoughts, and I heaved an internal sigh before responding, 'Yeah, yeah, you're laughing it up _now,_ but her going nuts was a legitimate threat, damn it!' At that, _negation_ filled my thoughts and I closed my eyes. The computer system of the Dragon Weyr – the mystical machine that was the throne of its living technological soul – was based upon the brain of my beloved Ieesha, and she had always been just that little bit wiser than I, and able to see things that I often overlooked.

'You're right, my friend' I thought. 'You're always right…' As the mighty construct's _negation_ filled my thoughts again, ever so carefully, I broke the embrace with Txe'lan and then stepped back to look at her. When I did so, she lowered her head, her _sanhì _glowing visibly as she uttered a short diatribe in Na'vi and – although I couldn't understand her – I guessed from her body language and _sanhì_ that she was deeply embarrassed and was apologizing for her behavior. Immediately, I began to tell her that she didn't need to apologize for everything… but as I did so I realized we had a slight problem. 'Hang on a moment' I thought, 'I can barely speak or even understand Na'vi – and I highly doubt that she knows English. This language barrier's eventually going to be a problem. Now, though, I need to get her out of here and have her meet everyone.'

Slowly, hesitantly – unsure of how she would react – I reached out a hand to her. To my relief, she copied the gesture and when our hands finally touched, I slowly wrapped my hand about her own. "Za'u," I said softly, giving her hand a gentle tug. "Za'u. Rä'ä… txopu." _Amusement _filled my thoughts; the Dragon Weyr was laughing at my pathetic attempt at communication. 'Oh, hush, you!' I grumbled at it mentally. 'I'm probably butchering her language. I don't have access to the ability to build a translation database, like you do, so this'll have to do…' _Affirmation_ from the mighty construct filled my thoughts as – to my surprise and relief – Txe'lan nodded, and then walked beside me as I led her out of the Clinic.

The walk back to the Weyrheart was slow and pleasant. As we travelled, Txe'lan gazed in wonder at the golden psi-steel walls of the corridor… and then, her wonder became awe as she stared at the beautifully coloured tapestries adorning them. Said tapestries depicted brilliantly realized scenes of mighty Protoss Zealots and High Templar locked in fierce combat against the Great Enemy: the Zerg. When we finally arrived at the Weyrheart entrance, I turned to Txe'lan and raised my hand in a 'stopping' gesture. "Rutxe 'ì'awn," I said to her, softly. She nodded, and then I proceeded into the Weyrheart. As I stepped into the great room, Falkor – whom was still curled up with Atreyu, the Pack, and Sa'nok – barked happily, and then got to his feet; he wanted to trot over to me and greet me

However, with a gentle hand gesture and a softly spoken word in Khalani I commanded him - and everyone else - to stay where they were, as I didn't want Txe'lan to enter here and perhaps be frightened by an enthusiastic greeting from my beloved animal friends. Then, returning to the _Weyrheart_ entrance, I gave Txe'lan a smile and took her hand again. "Za'u, Txe'lan. Za'u." Her golden eyes filled with wonder, she nodded, and then finally, we stepped into the _Weyrheart. _What happened then was something that I will never forget. As she stepped with me into the _Weyrheart_ for the very first time, Txe'lan _goggled_ – her golden eyes almost popping from her skull – as she tried to take in first the sheer size of the room, and then everything else in it, from the dresser to the leather sofa, to the amazing Holo-screen.

However, when she spied the Great Fleece Pile – and what rested upon it – she gasped in fright, and then turned to me and frantically asked me something in Na'vi that I couldn't understand. 'Probably asking me what they're all doing here, I'll bet' I thought to myself. 'The sight of a pack of eight _Nantang_ curled up with a _Palulukan_ probably wasn't what she was expecting to see when I brought her in here.' Turning to her, I grasped both of her hands in mine, and then quietly I said, "Mawey, Txe'lan, mawey. Rä'ä txopu. Kea hrrap, kea hrrap…" For a moment, Txe'lan just _stared_ at me – perhaps wondering if I'd utterly lost my mind – but then, she closed her eyes, heaved a tense-sounding sigh, and nodded.

Gently, I led her over to the old leather sofa, and showed it to her. Reaching out a hand, Txe'lan ran her hand along its top surface - marveling at the feel of the soft leather – and then, when I sat down on it and leaned back, she was surprisingly quick to join me. As she sank down into it, an expression of surprise crossed her face, which soon turned to pleasure as she leaned into the backrest. 'Hm, from the look on her face, she's probably never felt anything like it; the Na'vi don't have comfortable sofas, handmade using replicated genuine leather!' At that, a mixture of _affirmation, agreement_ and_ amusement_ filled my thoughts. At that moment, I became curious, and queried the Dragon Weyr. 'She seems awfully accepting of things here at the moment, my friend' I said, mentally. 'You haven't _influenced _her, have you?'

_Negation_ filled my thoughts, and at this, I smiled; apart from the normal empathic field generated via its Khaydarin Core – which made anyone who set foot within the great Nexus feel a sense of _welcome, _and_ comfort – _the Dragon Weyr hadn't directly _influenced _anyone. '… Except for the animals of my Menagerie' I responded, 'and your influence wore off long ago. My animals are here because they _want _to be, and they don't attack or kill each other – or even be aggressive towards one another – because they know that there's a better way to live, now. Thank you, my friend.' A mixture of _negation_ and _embarrassment_ filled my thoughts, followed by a series of psychic images – my swift treatment of the animals' injuries, my feeding and caring for them, and the many times I had simply stopped to spend time with them.

The Nexus was attempting to convey that _I_ had been more responsible for everything than it had been, and at that, I shook my head. 'Well, all right then, I guess we can agree that we're _both_ responsible for it all' I said. As the great construct's _affirmation_ filled my thoughts, I turned back to Txe'lan, and saw that she was sitting next to me on the sofa, quietly watching me, with a worried expression. As I returned my attention to her, however, she tilted her head and then softly asked me a question in Na'vi. 'Probably wondering why I seemed to be staring off at nothing. I really need to show her around and introduce her to you properly…' Absent _affirmation_ filled my thoughts – the Dragon Weyr's equivalent of "yes, but do it later" – and with the promise to do so firmly in my thoughts, I gave Txe'lan a smile.

At that, Txe'lan began to relax, and – once she had relaxed completely – one by one, I called each individual member of 'my' _Nantang_ Pack. Falkor was the first to respond; he swiftly trotted over to us and then – as Txe'lan looked on – he quietly sat at my feet. Gesturing to him, I softly said, "Falkor." Wide-eyed, Txe'lan repeated the unusual English name to herself a few times to get it right and then, staring into the eyes of my Viperwolf friend she softly uttered, _"Fahl-korr."_ When he barked softly in response, she grinned. Gently taking her hand in my own, I presented it to Falkor, and he tentatively sniffed, and then licked, at her fingers. At this, Txe'lan first gasped, and then _giggled! _When I showed her the places where he liked to be stroked and scratched – and he promptly _melted_ and rolled over onto his back – she laughed at his unusual antics!

As my _Palulukan, Sa'nok, _watched with a careful eye, one by one, the rest of the Pack – Atreyu, Keewan, Anaya, Ieesha, Jack, Dalton, and Trigger – all came over to meet Txe'lan. As each one did so, I told her their names and she swiftly learned them all and how to pronounce them as best she could. Soon the entire pack was being stroked, petted and scratched by the inquisitive Na'vi – and if they _weren't_ then they were vying for her attention! They gazed at her pitifully, begged, danced on their hind legs, or even held out a paw for her to shake… all of which soon had Txe'lan in stitches with laughter!

Her laughter soon ended, however, when _Sa'nok _finally roused herself from the Great Fleece Pile and ambled slowly over to us. As the elderly, though still fearsome female _Palulukan_ moved to where we were seated on the sofa, Txe'lan clutched one of my hands in a death grip, her eyes wide with fear. _"P-P-Palulukan…" _she rasped, her throat suddenly dry. Giving her a reassuring smile, I nodded to her. "Srane, Palulukan_," _I replied, once Sa'nok had reached us. Then, gesturing to said animal I quietly said, "_Sa'nok_."At that, Txe'lan's fear evaporated as she just turned and _stared_ at me for a moment, the expression on her face one of sheer incredulity! Then, she responded, _"Sa'nok? Sa'nok!"_ I grinned and nodded, before answering, "Srane, _Sa'nok_."

Then, taking Txe'lan's hand, I placed it beneath Sa'nok's muzzle. When I did this, Txe'lan went very still at first, fearing that the mighty predator might attack her. However, when Sa'nok sniffed her hand, taking in her scent, and then _licked_ gently at her fingers, the young Na'vi's jaw dropped open as her expression became one of sheer wonder. Then, she suddenly turned to me and began asking a series of rapid-fire questions, speaking so fast that I couldn't understand her at all! With a chuckle and a shake of my head, I took Txe'lan's hand again, placed it upon the bridge of Sa'nok's muzzle, and gently moved it in a 'stroking' motion. When I did this, Txe'lan quickly got the idea and started to softly stroke the great beast's muzzle on her own, and Sa'nok's eyes slowly closed at the contact as she let out a rumbling purr.

With Sa'nok's acceptance of Txe'lan, my life went back to normal – well, as normal as it could be on Pandora – with one exception: the young Na'vi, Txe'lan. She became a part of my everyday life. Although I wasn't a truly qualified teacher, I 'took her under my wing' as a kind of apprentice, and began to teach her what I could. One of the first things I attempted to teach her was, of course, the English language. In exchange, she attempted to teach me Na'vi. As with many things, however, nothing went as planned – and, eventually, she and I developed our own unique language consisting of a combination of English, Khalani, and Na'vi. Additionally, I also took the time to properly introduce her to the Dragon Weyr.

When I took her outside, to allow her to see where she'd been staying – and she saw just _what_ the Dragon Weyr actually _was _– as she beheld the heavily armored, glyph-inscribed psi-steel pyramid, shining gold in the light of the great star that served as Pandora's sun, she wept silently. _**"This is your kelku, where I have been staying as your guest, since you healed me?"**_ she asked through her tears. "Yes" I replied, nodding, "this is my home. Welcome, Txe'lan, to the _Dragon Weyr_." For a long while, Txe'lan did not reply; she was simply too overwhelmed by the beauty, and the sheer _size_ of the Nexus to respond. When, at last, she did reply – after coming to her senses – she said, _**"I… I did not know that the tawtute could make things of such beauty. The craftsmen of my Clan would weep with joy to see even the smallest glimpse of this place. If I may ask, however… why is it so large?"**_

"It is large because it was built to house myself and… and my Beloved" I answered. At this, Txe'lan regarded me curiously. "_**Your beloved? You have a Mate among the tawtute?"**_ Gently, I shook my head, before replying, "No, she was not _tawtute;_ she was… an _Ikran. _A very, very special _Ikran_." My answer served to make Txe'lan utterly stupefied for a moment – her eyes became wide and her jaw dropped open in wonder – but then, when she regained her composure, she said _**"An **_**Ikran**_**? Your Mate is an **_**Ikran**_**? How could you become mated to an **_**Ikran**_**? My people make Tsaheylu with Ikran during the Rite of Iknimaya, but…"**_ At that point, she broke off, sensing that I was becoming uncomfortable.

After a moment of indecision as to whether to speak again, she finally said, _**"I… I am sorry if I have offended you, Txa'vit. You have not been dishonest with me, so for now I shall believe what you say."**_ At this, I smiled and blinked away the beginnings of questionable moisture in my eyes. 'Just a little dust in my eyes. Yeah. That's all…' I thought. Txe'lan wouldn't know that I still grieved for my beloved Ieesha every day. She would not know that I had had _part of my soul torn away_ with the severing of our telepathic bond. She would not know that within my mind, where Ieesha's warm presence once resided, there was now a chilling _void,_ into which I had almost fallen. No, she would not know, _could _not know. Not yet.

Taking her hand, I brought her back inside the Dragon Weyr to the _Weyrheart._ Then, sitting down in front of the Holo-screen, I had the Dragon Weyr retrieve and display the dozens of pictures and videos of Ieesha and I that had been captured throughout our lives. Txe'lan and I stayed in front of that screen for what seemed like an age. It was there that she learned not of an _Ikran_ but of a mighty _Dragon. _It was there that she and I sometimes laughed, sometimes gasped in awe, and sometimes cried. It was there that she learned of Ieesha, my beloved Dragon of the Sun. When we arose from the sofa some three hours later, our bones stiff and sore, Txe'lan turned to look at me, her eyes moist with fresh, unshed tears.

"_**I… I was blind, but now I see, and your sorrow is my own, Txa'vit," **_she said._** "Your Iee'zha must have been a truly wonderful Mate. I wish I could have met her…"**_ A wistful sigh escaped Txe'lan, then, and I blinked and gave her a sad smile. "Oh, Ieesha would have loved you…" I rasped softly. Then, clearing my throat, I took her hand. "How would you like to see the rest of the Dragon Weyr?" I asked. The brilliant smile that lit up her face was all the answer I needed. I took Txe'lan everywhere within the Great Nexus. I showed her not only all the rooms within the _Weyrheart,_ but the Laboratory and my humble Office, as well as the Clinic, the Psiodeck, and the immense room that held its mighty Khaydarin Crystal Power Core.

Txe'lan, unlike most Na'vi, did not harbor any distrust of _tawtute _technology – it had saved her life, after all – and she was in fact awed by everything I showed her. In particular, she _adored_ the 'great lake' and the 'warm rain-and-wind maker' in the bathroom, as well as the 'rep-lee-kay-torr', which could make food appear out of thin air! Additionally, once I taught her to read and write both English and Khalani, she came to love the Dragon Weyr's Library Archives, where she could learn so much… And learn she did - mostly everything she could about all kinds of _science_! Sometimes, she got so engrossed with her learning, that it often took repeated nudging and bumping via _Sa'nok's_ muzzle to get her away from the Holo-Screen and her dozens, and dozens, and _dozens_, of pages filled with notes!

Txe'lan was _floored_ that the Dragon Weyr—which she had initially thought to be little more than a _tawtute_ building of cold, lifeless steel—was alive, and possessed its own mind and soul! She came to revere the Nexus as the closest thing to a deity, so much so, that eventually she began to pray to _it_ instead of her own deity, Eywa, and called herself "Weyr'eveng" or "Child of the Weyr," during said prayers! Although deeply humbled, and flattered, the Dragon Weyr often attempted to dissuade her, gently, from her worship; it was no deity and didn't deserve such devotion. Txe'lan, however, would not be dissuaded, at all! Her rejection of Eywa for the science and technology of the wondrous fortress did not sit well with me, however. 'Adun, help me, what have I done? I wanted to help her, not give her cultural contamination!'

Eventually, I confronted her about it. _**"When I was lying in the forest, wounded and dying, Eywa did not help me; Palulukan Makto, and Txra'kon We'er did,"**_ she answered when I questioned her. _**"When I pray, Txra'kon We'er hears and answers and you, Palulukan Makto Txa'vit, have helped me to learn so much… I appreciate your concern for me, but you do not need to worry. I am not 'contaminated', Txa'vit; I will remember, always, where I have come from as I look forward to where I am going."**_ At that, I sighed, and then gave her a wry grin, which she returned. "Well, all right, then" I replied. "If you want to believe in and worship the Dragon Weyr as a deity, I won't stop you."

And, keeping true to my word, I didn't. On the contrary, I continued teaching Txe'lan everything I knew. She took to the arts of martial combat like a fish to water, and – although she was no psychic – as her level of devotion to the great construct increased, she gained a kind of sixth sense towards the Dragon Weyr. Somehow, she just came to_ know_ when systems needed maintenance, or when something was amiss or awry inside it; an ability that became highly attuned when I eventually taught her to meditate. When I would perform maintenance on, or tweak or modify the many systems of the construct, she would be there with me, overseeing my work as she uttered soft prayer.

She learned so much from watching me work in fact, that soon, she began to tweak and help maintain the Dragon Weyr herself; something that I and the massive construct greatly appreciated, since my duties as a Veterinarian to Pandora's animals often kept me busy. Eventually, when her knowledge of the mighty Nexus and its mysteries surpassed my own, with its blessing and my consent, the Dragon Weyr formed a psychic bond with Txe'lan and allowed her to become its _Tsa'hik_. Most Tsa'hik's used herbs and potions in their work to communicate with Eywa and provide spiritual guidance. However, as _Tsa'hik _of the Dragon Weyr, Txe'lan employed the powerful psychic bond she shared with the construct, as well as a set of glyph-inscribed tools, which she kept wrapped in a medicine bundle at her waist.

With almost lyrical prayer, a keen eye and a careful hand, every time she manipulated the Dragon Weyr'scomplex electrical and crystalline circuitry she wove together spirituality and science. She wasn't just a glorified mechanic, however; she was a true _Tsa'hik_ in every sense of the word, often aiding me with wisdom, advice, and even knowledge of the surrounding lands from her time as a Child of Eywa. Additionally, she often provided counsel when I failed to save a life, or had to make difficult decisions regarding patients in my care. When she wasn't tending to her duties as _Tsa'hik_ of the Dragon Weyr_, _Txe'lan also assisted me with caring for the beloved animals of my menagerie.

One morning, when I released Majestic for the day – after giving him his usual feed of sweet nectar – as she helped me muck out his stable she asked me, _**"If you have healed them all, Txa'vit, why do the animals stay? You have told me that they are not slaves – that they are free – so why do they not return to their homes?" **_Wanting to provide her a proper answer to her question, I thought for a while, before I finally replied, "Some of my animals _cannot_ return to their homes, Txe'lan–such as the two _Ikran_, Leaf and Cloud—whilst the others choose to stay, because… because they are my family, now." For a moment, Txe'lan pondered the reply I'd given her… and then, finally, she nodded in satisfaction.

Eventually, the day came when she finally opened herself up to me and told me her story. _**"I am Txe'lan, once of the Children of Eywa and now Tsa'hik of the living tawtute kelku, Txra'kon We'er. This, you know"**_ she said, as we relaxed with the Pack and _Sa'nok_ after yet another long, and eventful day. When she began to speak, I sat up from where I was half-laying against _Sa'nok._ "Hey… You don't have to… If you're at all uncomfortable with telling me…" As I spoke, however, she raised a hand for silence. _**"I appreciate and thank you for your concern, Txa'vit" **_she said softly, _**"but it is unnecessary. You have **_**seen**_** me, but now I feel you must **_**know **_**me." **_Then, she continued, _**"I was once one of the People of the Clan Tawkami." **_

"_**When I was a young child, I lived a happy life with the People of my Clan; my Mother, **__**Sunu**__**, taught me the crafts of Weaving and Medicine, and my Father, Rìkean, taught me the arts of Hunting and Landlore. All was fine at first, until I - and then Sa'nok and Sempul - began to notice that, although my mind grew as I learned, my body did not grow; I remained the size of a child whilst other children around me grew tall and strong."**_ Txe'lan paused for a moment, to gather her thoughts. As she did so, I softly asked her, "Were the people of your Clan concerned that you weren't growing like a normal child?" At my question, Txe'lan blinked, and then slowly shook her head. _**"Not at first, no."**_ she answered.

"_**They believed that I was just 'slow to grow' and that, with time, I would eventually grow to be as tall as my brothers and sisters in the Clan. This, however, did not happen - I remained the size of a child, the size of an adult tawtute - and soon, some among the Clan began to whisper darkly that I had been... tainted... cursed by Eywa. Our Olo'eyktan tried to quell the whisperings but - as more and more of my people began to believe them - he, too, came to believe that they were true! Sometime after this, I remember being abruptly awakened in the night by six mighty warriors whom were the Olo'eyktan's personal guard. They dragged me into the forest, and then... then, as the Olo'eyktan **_**looked on and did nothing to help **_**they beat me brutally, to within an inch of my life. Then, they left me there in the forest to die..."**_

"... and you certainly would have, had Falkor and I not found you." I finished. "But... Look at where you are now; you've gone from being a Tawkami Clan outcast to becoming the wise and knowledgeable _Tsa'hik _of the Dragon Weyr! However, as you look forward to the future, never forget your Clan, and its people, never forget where you've come from." Txe'lan nodded. _**"I will not, Txa'vit. Thank you for your words." **_Then, she said, _**"Now you know me, Txa'vit, but I do not know you. Will you tell me of yourself, and where you come from? How did you come here, and become brave enough to become Palulukan Makto?"**_ At her questions, I grew somewhat pensive. 'Oh, boy...' I thought, 'she just had to ask the _big ones,_ didn't she?"

_Amusement _filled my thoughts, then and irritably, I grumbled, 'Shut up you!' At that, even _more_ amusement filled my thoughts; the Dragon Weyr was finding my predicament hilarious. Finally, I replied, "To answer your questions, I will have to tell you a story." At this, Txe'lan - who had been relaxing against _Sa'nok's _body - sat up and looked at me attentively. _**"Please do, Txa'vit, I have always loved stories! The storytellers of my Clan knew much about our land, and of Eywa, and they could weave the most incredible tales!"**_ Her enthusiastic reply lightened my mood and made me smile for a moment, but then I gazed solemnly at her and replied, "The tale I am about to tell you is unlike anything you've ever heard from your Clan's storytellers, Txe'lan. You may not understand all of it, and some of it might seem like a fantasy - just the mad ramblings of an insane _tawtute. _Are you sure you want to hear it?" Txe'lan nodded.

And so, I told her… I told her of a young _tawtute_ boy who spent fifteen lonely years on Earth, struggling to control a power that he was born with, but which he didn't understand… I told her of the boy's power being revealed during an argument with his parents, a revelation that almost resulted in their deaths… And I told her of the young boy being taken to a Science Facility by his Father, where he was left to his fate: to be studied like an _Ikran_ in a cage and then trained to become a feared 'Ghost' Covert Operative. "You must understand that this was a veritable death sentence for me, Txe'lan" I said to her as I continued my tale. "I mean that, literally—when you're trained as a Ghost, you don't have a life anymore.

The government erases all records of your former life—and you can never again contact your family. In addition, I've heard stories from a few people, good and decent folk who managed to escape their training. The Covert Ops Facilities are akin to 'hell on earth.' Trainee Ghosts must face countless horrific tests. Those who fail the tests suffer irreversible insanity and face execution soon after. They are the lucky ones, for the trainees who survive become little more than drones, completely devoid of emotion! Psychic Dampeners—devices designed to suppress psychic power—are surgically implanted into these men, and then they undergo training to become government assassins."

At this, Txe'lan held up a hand, telling me to pause for a moment. When I did so, she said, "_**'Assassin?' I do not know this word, Txa'vit. What is an Assassin?"**_ I didn't answer her question, at first. Instead, I rested my head in my hands for a moment, overcome with old, _old _memories. Only when Txe'lan rested a hand on my shoulder in concern did I raise my head and answer, "A… A hunter of sorts – somewhat like a _Nantang_ with no pack– but one that holds no respect for the life he hunts. Assassins are cruel and heartless, Txe'lan, and possess respect only for money and the people they are paid to work for… if at all." With that, I had the Nexus send her a _vision_ of what I had almost become:_ a 'Ghost' Covert Operative…_

_The fully trained, ruthless killer dressed in a sealed environmental suit as black as the night, his breath a harsh rasp from the rebreather in his helmet, his enhanced cybernetic eyes glowing with a green inhuman light as he gazed at her coldly, before bearing down upon her, his powerful C-10 Canister Rifle raised for a killing shot… _When the vision ended, for a moment Txe'lan just _stared _at me with an expression that bespoke of utter horror, as for the first time she realized what I could have become. Then, she blinked and shook her head. _**"But you are here now and you still have your power; you did not become this thing, this 'Assassin.' How did you escape that fate?"**_

Her question would be answered as I continued my tale. I told Txe'lan of humanities discovery of an alien race, the Protoss, whom lived on a massive Jungle World called Aiur… I told her of humankind's subsequent war with them… And I told her of the destruction of the Science Facility. "During the chaos of the building's annihilation, Txe'lan, _somebody saved me_ by transporting me aboard the Flagship of the Protoss Fleet, a mighty vessel called a 'Carrier', which was named the 'Golden Rage'" I continued. "There, I met one of the Protoss, a giant, glowing-eyed, power-suited figure named Ar'Adun Teth." Her eyes wide with amazement, Txe'lan gasped, and then she said _**"These ketuwong, these Pro'tx'oss; they are **_**true**_** sawtute, aren't they?" **_I nodded.

"Yes, Txe'lan, _they_ are the true 'sky people', not humanity" I answered. "The Protoss are the most powerful race in the Galaxy… or, at least, they _believe_ this to be so."She nodded thoughtfully, and then, after a moment's consideration, she said, _**"The Pro'tx'oss must be powerful indeed if they were able to save you. But… with their power, they could have saved any human on Earth. Why, then, did they choose to save **_**you?"**She had asked the one question that had been, and still, remained a mystery to me, even to this day. 'Oh, boy… she hit the nail on the head…' I thought, absently. Then, I shrugged, and shook my head before replying, "I don't know, Txe'lan. I don't know. It was Ar'Adun's advisor - a veteran High Templar, named Zhand'Akull - who told Ar'Adun to have me brought aboard.

I can only surmise that he saw something in me, trusted me. It's the raw psychic energy that flows through the bodies of every High Templar. They see more than 'lesser' Protoss." Txe'lan nodded and then bade me continue my tale. I told her of my return with the Protoss to their Home World, Aiur… of my induction into their society as a Khalai… and of my rise to the rank of High Templar, through sixty years of training in the martial, psionic, and political arts. I also told her of the unusual changes that occurred within my body, as a result of said training. "The cities, machines, and technology of Aiur draw their power from a great 'psionic matrix'—a powerful energy source—deep within the heart of the planet's core," I intoned softly.

Its energy _saturates_ the whole of Aiur, so much so, that you can literally _feel it_ in the air around you, Txe'lan! Every day, for my entire life on Aiur, the energy of the psionic matrix suffused my body, and somehow—like some kind of 'benevolent' radiation—it _changed_ my body's physiology, such that I became somewhat like a true Protoss. I found that I could gain nutrition from _sunlight_, or _moonlight_, by absorbing said light through my skin! Unlike true Protoss, however-who only needed light and water to survive-_I_ still required solid food as part of my diet, though far less than a normal human would eat." At this, Txe'lan just _gaped _at me for a moment, barely able to comprehend what I'd just said.

The expression upon her face was almost comical—her eyes were wide, and her lower jaw was just hanging open—and I couldn't stop the grin which crossed my face, nor the chuckle that escaped me a few moments later. Upon hearing said sound, Txe'lan quickly regained her senses; closing her jaw with an audible click, she replied, _**"That is incredible, Txa'vit!**__**What other changes happened to you?" **_Immediately, I answered, "I became physically and mentally stronger, my five primary senses sharpened far beyond all that I had experienced before and my skin - originally smooth but with a… rather large amount of bodily hair - _changed_ at the genetic level.

All of my hair - except for my _facial hair,_ and the hair that grew on top of my head - fell out, as my skin developed a layer of fine, almost invisible scales! The final change that took place within me, however, was perhaps the most mysterious: gradually, the rate at which my body aged slowed to a crawl. Ar'Adun, Zhand'Akull and I soon discovered that the ravages of time had lost their hold upon me; for every year that passed, I would barely age a day... if I even aged at all. When I'd left Earth with the Protoss, I had been a mere fifteen years old... but now, I was nearing the completion of my training as Ambassador for Aiur, and—although I appeared to be eighteen years old_ physically_—my true age was actually _seventy-five_ years."

Txe'lan held up a hand again, and I paused once more. "Yes, Txe'lan?" I asked. She thought for a moment, and then she replied, _**"Txa'vit, what is your age? How long will you live?"**_ For a while I pondered her question, and then, shrugging my shoulders I answered, "My age? Well, in _my_ years, I'm thirty; in normal, human years, I'm about 600 years old. Add the fifteen years I spent on Earth to that and I'm 615 years old. As for how long I'll live, well…" I shrugged my shoulders, "I don't know. The lifespan of a normal human is about eighty to one hundred years. Before - when I was in training on Aiur - Ar'Adun, Zhand'Akull and I discovered that my body aged at a ratio of 20:1 - that is, for every twenty normal years, I only aged one year.

If we use that ratio with the 100 year lifespan of a normal human, I should live about…" I paused, did a quick calculation in my head, and then continued, "… about 1810 years, I think. But, then again, who knows how long I'll live…" For a moment, I lapsed into silent thought, until Txe'lan tapped me on the shoulder. _**"What do you mean, Txa'vit?" **_she asked. Gazing at her solemnly, I answered. "You've seen the great Khaydarin Crystal core that powers this place, Txe'lan. It absorbs local psionic energy - the energy of _thought itself_ - which is then either used in its raw form, or converted into electricity to power the Dragon Weyr's psionic and electrical systems.

The energy from the Core that _isn't_ converted into power, however, emanates from the Core as an empathic field. It enhances the bond we have with the Nexus and… and it _permeates_ the place. It's the reason why - whenever you enter the Dragon Weyr - you feel a sense of _welcome, _and_ comfort._" At this, Txe'lan gasped softly, her eyes widening with realization. _**"**_**That**_** is the reason why - when I first awoke here - I felt no fear!"**_she exclaimed. I smiled, and nodded. "Correct" I replied. Then, gazing at her solemnly, I continued, "Like the energy of Aiur's Psionic Matrix did so long ago, the energy of the field emitted by the Dragon Weyr's Core is suffusing my body…" In an instant, Txe'lan immediately guessed what I was trying to say.

_**"You… you are saying that the energy is further slowing the rate at which your body ages?"**_ When I nodded, Txe'lan gave me a look of uncertainty as she quietly asked, _**"Could it… could it affect **_**me**_** in the same way?" **_With a quiet sigh, I softly replied, "I… I don't know; your physiology differs from mine. Hah… for all I know, I could be practically _immortal_ - unable to die of old age - and I might not even know it!" Txe'lan and I lapsed into dark, brooding silence, then, as we pondered what _might _happen to us in the future. Said silence was soon broken, however, when the _amusement_ of the Dragon Weyr filled our thoughts as it broadcast a modified clip from an old song into our thoughts!

_"When you were young you had a lot of pep; You could get around, you didn't need no help; But since you're gettin' old and gray; Those Na'vi 'll look at you and say; You're too old, too old; You're too old to cut the mustard anymore; You're a-gettin' too old, you done got too old; You're too old to cut the mustard anymore…" _That did it-the melancholy mood was utterly shattered as Txe'lan, I, and the Pack almost busted our guts with laughter! When we were able to regain control of ourselves, the _Nantang_ Pack were draped about us every which way as Txe'lan and I lay sprawled against _Sa'nok's _body, weakened, breathless, and gasping for air! Once she was able to speak, Txe'lan gasped, _**"Oh… Oh **_**We'er! **_**I have not laughed like that in such a long time!"**_

Then, she said, _**"Txa'vit, you have told me**__** of yourself, and where you come from, but you still have not told me of how you came to be here and become Palulukan Makto. Will you tell me now?"**_ Looking at her, I thought for a moment… and as I did so, memories overwhelmed me. 'I… I can't. Not yet; even after all this time the memories are still too raw…' I thought. Then, finally, I slowly shook my head. "I… I'm sorry, Txe'lan, I can't. It… it still hurts, you know, even after all this time…" Txe'lan nodded; she knew and understood, and wouldn't push. Now, I hear you saying, 'Hang on, you know Txe'lan well now; why didn't you tell her?' Well… how could I? How could I tell her of the _intentional death_ of the gentlest being whomever lived?

How could I ever tell her of the brutal sundering of a bond that was beyond soul deep? That a piece of my own soul had been sundered, too, with the shattering of said bond? _I couldn't! _I just _couldn't!_ The memories of the event were still far too raw, and… I just couldn't find the words. But… I knew someone who could. Silently, I sent a query to the Dragon Weyr. _Shock_ from the great construct filled my thoughts for but an instant, followed by deep _sadness _and then finally _resignation_ as the mighty Nexus sent its _Tsa'hik_ a psychic data burst. _The history of the Protoss… The exile of the Dark Templar… Ieesha's discovery that she could use the same abilities as they… Her training and the return to Aiur after its completion…_

_The First Betrayal; the brutal beating of her beloved Lifemate rather than the proper trial he should have received for helping her and - in doing so - defying the Laws of the Khala…David's forgiveness of and reconciliation with the Conclave of Aiur…The doomed Archaeology expedition and the Second Betrayal; the intentional death of his beloved Ieesha… Her final moments and her funeral… The investigation into the events surrounding her death… The exposure, trial, and subsequent execution of Judicator Vi'thos… David's leaving of Aiur, and twenty years of _existing_… His arrival at Pandora… The Menagerie… Sa'nok… And finally, a terrifying glimpse of the chilling _void_ in David's mind that he now lived with every day…_

By the time the data burst ended, Txe'lan was pale - the cyan skin of her face near _white_ from lack of blood - and her expression bespoke of dreadful horror, great sympathy, and the deepest regret. Suddenly, she _retched_ and placed a hand over her mouth; as she did so almost immediately the Dragon Weyr _shifted _her to the _Weyrheart's _bathroom and I raced to my feet and swiftly made my way after her with the Pack following in my wake. When we arrived there, it was to find the young Na'vi violently ill, vomiting into the Waste Disposal Unit that served as the toilet. "Oh, Txe'lan…" I uttered quietly. As Falkor, Atreyu, and the rest of the Pack looked on, I made my way over to her and tried to assist her as best I could, moving her long hair and _tswin_ out of the way.

When, at last, she was done, as the Dragon Weyr 'flushed' the Waste Disposal Unit - recycling the waste material into usable energy that would be sent back to its Power Core - I carefully assisted Txe'lan over to the vanity unit and helped her wash her face and rinse her mouth out. Then she, the Pack, and I, all made our way back into the main room of the _Weyrheart,_ where she and I collapsed bonelessly against _Sa'nok's_ body and the Pack cuddled closer to us than ever. _Sa'nok,_ seeing the state we were in, mewled softly in concern. I acknowledged said concern with a softly uttered "Thank you, _Sa'nok._ We'll be okay…" but Txe'lan didn't, for she was embracing me, crying in a way I didn't remember her ever crying before - great heaving sobs wracked her body as she held me close.

When she was able to cease crying - when the great heaving sobs no longer made her body shake with the pain she was feeling - Txe'lan slowly raised her head to look at me. _**"Ngaytxoa, Txa'vit,"**_she rasped,** "**_**Ngaytxoa. I… I **_**saw her, **_**Txa'vit,**_** I saw…"**At that, my own eyes misted over with tears, and I choked out, "… You saw Ieesha… her last moments through my eyes…" Txe'lan nodded. _**"Yes,"**_ she replied, _**"that and more. I know everything, now. You had Txra'kon We'er show me." **_Deep _regret, sorrow_and _misery_ from the Dragon Weyr filled our thoughts as Txe'lan continued, _**"I now wish I hadn't made you do so. I… Txra'kon We'er also showed me a glimpse of that horrible tìvawm in your head. How… **_**How**_** can you live with that inside you **_**every day?"**

Giving her a tremulous smile, I softly rasped, "It's not so bad. The Dragon Weyr helps. _Sa'nok_ helps. The menagerie helps. You help…" Addressing everyone, I continued, "… All of you help. You're all why I continue living." As I finished speaking Txe'lan embraced me again and together she and I grieved, shedding our final tears of mourning for my beloved Ieesha. Then, as Txe'lan and I lay within the warm musty comfort provided by the curl of _Sa'nok's_ body with Falkor, Atreyu, and the rest of the Pack draped all around and over us, gradually, we fell asleep. That night, my sleep was nightmare-free and dreamless. It was the best sleep I'd ever had-but, of course, it abruptly ended the next morning when Falkor laid down upon me and proceeded to wake me by licking my face!

"Bleargh," I cried, sleepily trying to fend him off, "Falkor, stop that!" Naturally, Falkor resisted my attempts to dislodge him; in fact, my efforts to remove him from atop my person only seemed to make things _worse!_ His tongue slipped between and wrapped about my fingers, wormed its way over my closed eyelids, tried to go _up my nose_ and, somehow, even made its way into my mouth! _That_ was what finally woke me. Wiping my face with the back of a hand - and making 'spitting' motions to try and dislodge the taste of Falkor's saliva - a combination of _Nantang _breath mixed with hints of raw _Yerik _meat - I slowly sat up, grabbed him around the waist with both hands and lifted him off me.

Setting him down beside me, I gazed into his emerald eyes as I began to absently caress his vermillion and iridescent blue skin. "What are you doing, eh?" I murmured softly. "Why'd you have to wake me up at…" I queried the Dragon Weyr for the time, "… half-past five in the morning?" Falkor didn't answer my question. Instead - being mindful of the rest of his Pack, _Sa'nok, _and Txe'lan, whom were all still sleeping - he barked softly, and then gestured to me with his head; he wanted me to _follow _him! "Well, alright…" I replied quietly. Together, he and I swiftly made our way over to the Transport Alcove leading out of the _Weyrheart_, and used said Alcove to return to the entryway of the Dragon Weyr. Then, passing through the opened Gate of Dawn, we exited the Weyr and headed into the forest.

As we began to make our way through the trees, Falkor emitted a loud, demanding bark that ended in a _growl_, and then he began to _run, _moving so fast that I had to channel psionic energy into my legs to increase my speed in order to keep up with him! "Falkor, w-what's going on?" I asked as we ran. "Why are you in such a hurry?" My Viperwolf friend's reply to my question was a loud, demanding bark. It was almost as if he was saying, _"Come on! Come on! Move faster! Faster!" _On and on we ran through the forest - swerving around gargantuan trees and flora, and ducking under and leaping over obstacles in our way - until finally, Falkor came to a halt in front of the biggest damn tree I had ever seen in my life.

Then, as I watched, he gestured with his head to a hollow space at the base of said tree before turning back to me and giving his distinctive beagle-like cry, _"Aroo! Aroo! Aroo!"_ My eyes widening, I thought, 'Shit… there must be something _alive _in there!' Asking Falkor to _hush_ via a softly spoken word in Khalani, I moved forward and then crouched down to peer into the hollow, but it was too dark to see inside; within it, all I could make out was a shadowy, indistinct lump. Cursing softly to myself, I reached down to my Utility Belt and extracted from its collection of tools a Pen Torch - a simple fountain pen combined with a small but powerful flashlight. Pointing the device towards the hollow, I switched on its flashlight component and again looked inside… and what I saw made me gasp softly with dismay. "By Adun…" I murmured.

Within the hollow, I espied the curled up body of an animal no bigger than my torso. Although I still couldn't clearly see the creature, I noted that its body was white, but covered with blood and utterly _filthy!_ "Okay," I murmured to myself, "we have an unknown animal, definitely injured. Looks like the menagerie is going to have to wait a bit for their food today…" Switching the flashlight off, I replaced the Pen Torch back on my belt; as I did so, Falkor moved to settle down beside me. Turning his head towards me he '_woofed'_ softly. "I hear you, boy" I replied, "let's see if we can get him out…" Drawing upon my reserves of psychic energy, I manifested a little of said energy into reality, wrapping it about my hands as skin tight psionic energy shields.

The shields would not only serve to protect my hands from injury if the animal became distressed by my attempts to move it, but would also prevent the animal and I contracting any diseases from each other due to contact with the poor creature's wounds and spilt blood. With my hands now protected, I carefully reached into the hollow at the base of the tree, wrapped my arms about the mystery animal's body, and then gently extracted it. As the light of early morning fell upon the creature - and I saw what it was for the first time - for a moment, my _breath froze in my throat! _The animal that my Viperwolf, Falkor, had found was a baby _Ikran _- specifically an _Ikranay_, or Forest Banshee - but one the likes of which I had never seen before.

Instead of being the normal mixture of dark and light greens that enabled camouflage within the thick and dense Pandoran forests, the hairless skin of this particular _Ikranay_ was _pure white _banded with _gold_ and iridescent purple. At least, that's what I _believed _it to be; I could in fact hardly see the colors of the animal's skin at all, due to the layers of dried encrusted blood and dirt that covered the tiny _Ikran's _body. As I examined the animal further, a barely audible cry escaped me, as I noticed its wings… or rather, its _lack_ of them. Forest and Mountain _Ikrans_ usually possessed four pairs of wings, which they used for flight, but the wings of this particular Forest _Ikran_ had been, but the wings of this particular _Ikran _had been _ripped off,_ brutally; all that remained where they had once been were horrific gaping wounds festering with disease.

Additionally, the _Ikran_ was terribly thin and malnourished; I could clearly see the bones of its skeleton poking through its skin. 'Damn…' I wondered, 'is it even alive?' Carefully, I set the ailing creature down upon a soft bed of moss and then performed a quick, cursory examination with my hands and psionic abilities. What I discovered was not good, at all. The _Ikran _was barely alive; his pulse weak and thready, his breath a strained, barely audible rasp. His left pupil was completely dilated, but the right was _contracted,_ so narrowly, that I could barely see it amidst the gold of his right eye's iris. 'Shit, that's not good, at all; this little guy must be suffering from pretty severe shock, or he could even be brain damaged. I'd better wake the Dragon Weyr, have _it_ wake up Txe'lan and then have her assist the Nexus with preparing for a critical patient.'

I was, of course, anthropomorphizing the great construct - using human words and expressions to describe something that wasn't human. The Dragon Weyr never truly 'slept' as a human could sleep. It could place many of its computer processes and non-critical psionic and electrical systems into a kind of standby and enter a state of _rest_ - so as not to wear said systems out - but it could never _sleep_. For the Dragon Weyr, _sleep_ meant TSF; Total System Failure. 'Death' I thought, a shudder passing through me. 'Not only for the Weyr, but also for any organic beings whom dwelled within it at the time, unless of course the Weyr was on a planet with a breathable atmosphere at the time of failure. But enough of this; let's see if we can save this _Ikran…'_

With that thought, via our psychic bond, I issued a powerful call to the Dragon Weyr! _"Weyr… Weyr… Weyr… Dragon Weyr, HO!" _Lion-O's Call to the Thundercats, modified for the Dragon Weyr, did the trick; within moments, faint _amusement_ overshadowed by _alertness _filled my thoughts. _"Please wake Tsa'hik Txe'lan and have her assist you with anything you need to prepare the Autodoc for a critical patient, stat!"_ I said. Then I promptly attached my own personal Warp Beacon to the critically injured _Ikran _and activated it. As I did so, a feeling of _questioning_ filled my thoughts. "Don't worry, friend, Falkor is with me. He'll guide me back to you. Just get this little one into the Autodoc, pronto!" I replied.

Unknown to me, ever since our arrival on Pandora, the Dragon Weyr's amazing transport system had adapted and become_ stronger, _due to my constant use of it for transporting patients. Thus, I was shocked when - instead of being pulled through an opened Warp Gate - the ailing _Ikran_ was simply _shifted_ to the Dragon Weyr; directly transported from where I was, to there, _without_ the use of the Warp as a corridor between the two destination points! A short while after the ailing _Ikran _vanished I was shocked again, as a _large_ Warp Gate opened a few feet away from me and _Sa'nok_ stepped through, fully kitted out in a special tandem harness with _Txe'lan,_ dressed in customized riding leathers, sitting atop her back!

A few seconds after the mighty _Palulukan_ stepped through it, the Warp Gate closed. Looking up at Txe'lan I promptly snapped out "Ikranay?" Gazing down at me gravely from atop _Sa'nok,_ my Na'vi companion promptly snapped back at me, _**"Ikranay safe. Autodoc." **_It was a form of crass, clipped shorthand speech we'd developed for relaying critical information. Her answer eased my mind greatly, and I heaved a huge sigh of relief! "Status?" I snapped. _**"Critical,"**_ she replied. At that, I paced back and forth for a moment, thinking. 'Shit… not good, not good…' I thought. Then, ceasing my pacing I turned back to Txe'lan and asked, "Time?" Txe'lan shook her head before answering, _**"We'er uncertain. Possibly weeks. Possibly months."**_

"Bugger!" I replied. Txe'lan nodded solemnly in understanding. At that point, _Sa'nok_ ambled over to Falkor and I, mewling a soft greeting. "Hey, big girl, good morning!" I replied. Then, I reached out a hand to caress her muzzle - an activity she enjoyed often - but to my dismay, this time, she refused to let me touch her. Instead, she pulled away from me, carefully inspected me to make sure I hadn't been hurt in any way and then - _***WHAP* **_- promptly cuffed me with a forepaw, knocking me to the ground! Her "attack" didn't hurt me in any way, but as I lay there on the ground, stunned and disoriented, I wondered, 'What the fuck just happened? Why'd she hit me?'

When she leaned down to me, and _roared _in my face_,_ I soon figured it out! Once the echo of the terrible sound finally faded away in the morning breeze, with my ears still ringing I mumbled, "Ugh… okay, okay, I get it; no more medical missions without you there with me. I'm sorry, _Sa'nok._" _Sa'nok_ snorted softly, and then - gesturing with her head to the space on the tandem harness behind where Txe'lan was seated - she gave a sharp, commanding mewl, as if to say _"You! On my back, now!" _Getting to my feet, I shook my head to clear it, and then - as I moved to _Sa'nok's_ side to mount her - I sullenly grumbled, "Yes Mother…" At that point I promptly received a hard nudge in the back from said motherly _Palulukan_ for my backtalk!

"Help!" I cried, looking to Txe'lan for aid. "This is_ Tawtute _abuse! I'm being beaten up by a giant housecat!" I was only joking, of course, and Txe'lan knew it; as I set a foot in the first of the stirrups behind her, and then mounted and settled myself comfortably upon _Sa'nok's _back, I could see her bent over in the tandem saddle, desperately clutching the saddle horn, her body shaking with silent laughter. As I attached the heavy duty clips on _Sa'nok's_ harness to my Utility Belt to ensure my safely, I asked "Where'd you get the harness? I don't remember building that." Once she was able to regain her senses, Txe'lan replied, **_"Skxawng! You made the harness, and my riding gear, before I became Tsa'hik of Txra'kon We'er, remember?"_**

A frown creasing my face, I thought for a moment, and then… I remembered… Quite some time ago - before she had chosen to become _Tsa'hik_ of the Dragon Weyr - Txe'lan had expressed an interest in learning to ride _Sa'nok_. Thus, I had constructed a second, tandem harness for _Sa'nok _- along with a set of customized riding gear for Txe'lan - so that we could both ride my _Palulukan_ friend together. Unfortunately, by the time the new harness was complete, Txe'lan had chosen a different path; instead of becoming a second _Palulukan Makto_ and joining me on my Veterinary missions throughout Pandora, she had joined herself with the Dragon Weyr and had become its first and only _Tsa'hik_. Thus, her special riding gear and the new tandem harness had remained prototypes, untried and untested, until today...


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer:** _Blah, Blah, Blah. I don't own Avatar; James Cameron does. All the Avatar stuff belongs to him. However, my Na'vi character, myself, the Dragon Weyr and its technologies, and the Pandoran animals of my menagerie are all mine. The Protoss - apart from my characters - all belong to Blizzard Entertainment._

**Pandora's Templar**

A Work-In-Progress Story by Coranth Dehanae

Chapter 2

(Continued from Chapter 1…)

Pulling myself away from these thoughts, I softly replied, "Yes... Yes, I remember now. It's good to know that it the harness works." Although I couldn't see it because I was seated behind her, Txe'lan nodded. _**"It does work well, Txa'vit - and the riding leathers are very comfortable - but... why did you use **_**your own personal Warp Beacon**_** to have Txra'kon We'er take the Ikranay?"**_ Feeling somewhat embarrassed, I shifted uncomfortably in the saddle for a moment, before I replied, "Well... Falkor just woke me up this morning, and... I... I didn't have the time to stock my Medical Kit or get another Warp Beacon - he wanted me out here _now_ - so I just went with him..." A long-suffering sigh escaped Txe'lan, then, and I lowered my head in shame.

'God damn it...' I thought, 'I _should_ have gotten another Warp Beacon! I should have prepared better...' For a moment, I continued to berate myself internally, but then, Txe'lan's next words pulled me from my thoughts. _**"While it's true that you should have had Falkor wait whilst you checked and restocked your supplies, I... I am glad that you did not. Also - although it might seem cruel for me to say this - I am glad that I chose to become Tsa'hik of Txra'kon We'er. I... That poor Ikranay! I have never, in all my life, seen such a terrible thing! How... **_**How**_** could Eywa allow him to become so terribly injured? It... His injuries are so severe that... that..."**_ She lowered her voice, then, as if to speak some terrible secret, or blasphemy. _**"...Txra'kon We'er thinks that it might not be able to save him..."**_

At these words, _anger_ seethed within me. "Unacceptable!" I snapped. "Falkor and I busted our asses to get out here and send him back to the Dragon Weyr, and there's _no fucking way_ I'm going to let him die, _not on my watch!_" With that said I whistled to Falkor and then issued a command to _Sa'nok_ in pure Khalani. _"Sa'nok, home - STAT!"_ Upon hearing said command, the mighty _Palulukan_ let out a frightening, pantheresque roar... and then, with Falkor acting as our guide, we were off! During my years of living on Pandora, I'd been on many urgent Veterinary missions before - so I knew that _Sa'nok_ could run at incredible speed - but _this_ time, as we ran through the forests of Pandora, the speed at which my _Palulukan_ friend was moving was _terrifying_!

Her massive claw-tipped paws _literally_ tore up the ground, as we moved so fast, that all I could do was grip tightly to Txe'lan's shoulders and pray to Adun that she and I both didn't fall from her back! "What of others?" I yelled to Txe'lan, over the noise of the wind rushing past us, a phenomena caused by the incredible speed at which Sa'nok was racing. _**"Others safe,"**_ Txe'lan yelled in reply. _**"Told Txra'kon We'er to feed all and clean homes before Ikranay came!"**_ At this, I heaved a huge sigh of relief, before replying, "Irayo, Txe'lan, irayo!" Even with us riding atop her, due to her amazing speed, _Sa'nok_ returned to the Dragon Weyr in record time. Charging through the wide-open Gate of Dawn, the mighty Palulukan hurtled over to the Transport Alcove and skidded to a stop within it, followed moments later by my faithful Viperwolf, Falkor.

Once we were all inside it, the Dragon Weyr activated said Alcove, instantly transporting us back to the safety of the _Weyrheart._ We arrived standing upon the Great Fleece Pile, and - upon our arrival - the Dragon Weyr immediately directed a cloud of its Nanocytes to form into a large water trough. Once the trough was fully formed, quantum microreplicators within it instantly activated to quickly fill it with fresh, ice-cold, crystal clear water. As _Sa'nok_ heaved a weary sigh and lowered her head to drink deeply, without a moment's hesitation, Txe'lan and I dismounted her and then, working together, we carefully removed the tandem harness. At that point, the Dragon Weyr _shifted_ the harness away, returning it to its rack above her usual harness.

Both 'tack racks' were located on the wall near the oak dresser where my clothing, and Ieesha's possessions, were stored. 'Good' I thought, gazing at the harness for a moment, 'the Dragon Weyr's Nanocytes will clean it, check it for damage, and perform any maintenance, if needed. As for poor _Sa'nok_...' I turned my gaze toward her '... she could use a good rubdown...' It was true. Having drunk her fill of the water in the trough - allowing the Dragon Weyr to vanish the remainder and break the trough back into Nanocytes - my poor _Palulukan_ was now laying upon the Great Fleece Pile, utterly exhausted! She was panting heavily, her great chest heaving in and out as she sucked in and vented air through the unusual inlets on her body.

"Easy, big girl, easy there..." I murmured, moving to caress her face and muzzle. Txe'lan, too, moved to stroke my _Palulukan_ friend, softly uttering _**"Mawey, Sa'nok, mawey..."**_ as she ran her hands gently over the animal's heaving body. Her muscles and bones aching and sore, _Sa'nok_ fixed Txe'lan with a look of _suffering_, mewling softly in agony. Upon seeing this, Txe'lan uttered a soft, almost lyrical prayer to the Dragon Weyr, asking of it a boon... and moments later, said request was granted. A feeling of absent _affirmation_ filled our thoughts, as the Dragon Weyr replicated and _shifted_ to the Fleece Pile a whole slew of items. A large container filled with hot water, two soft sponges, several huge fluffy towels, some bundles of dried herbs, a Mortar and Pestle, a glass bottle filled with thick clear oil, and several special acupuncture needles.

With these, working together, Txe'lan and I proceeded to utterly pamper _Sa'nok_. First, with the hot water and the sponges we gently and carefully washed the sweat from the _Palulukan's_ body. Then, after drying the huge animal with the fluffy towels, we combined the clear oil-base and bundles of herbs together in the Mortar and ground them severely with the Pestle to make a thick, sweet-smelling herbal paste, which we then proceeded to thoroughly massage into _Sa'nok's_ skin. Once the Mortar was empty - when _Sa'nok's_ leathery skin was utterly smooth and supple and shone somewhat like a coat of newly dried obsidian paint - Txe'lan watched, half in awe and half in horror, as I took the acupuncture needles and proceeded to insert them at certain points throughout _Sa'nok's_ body, in order to deaden pain and stimulate her natural healing ability.

The acupuncture needles weren't hurting _Sa'nok_ at all. On the contrary, even when I inserted three of them into critical points on her head, she didn't react negatively; she just lay there on the Great Fleece Pile in a state akin to deep meditation, _purring_ deeply. Awed at the quiescent and humble state that the great _Palulukan_ was in and wanting to understand their purpose, Txe'lan slowly reached out a hand to touch one of the three needles inserted into Sa'nok's head... but as she did so, I swiftly rapped her hand! "Never, _ever_ touch the needles, Txe'lan!" I cautioned. Pulling her hand back, Txe'lan looked at me with an expression of mild hurt. _**"Why, Txa'vit?"**_ she asked. _**"They are all over her body, even in her head, and they look painful! Aren't they hurting her?"**_

With a shake of my head, I answered, "No, they aren't hurting her at all. The needles are so fine that, when inserted correctly, they cause no pain whatsoever. They are where they are to help focus and direct the flow of _Sa'nok's_ Qi - her life energy - to where it's most needed. If you touch any of the needles, you run the risk of not only causing her great pain, but also ruining the entire procedure. Please do _not_ attempt to touch them again." Suitably chastised, Txe'lan nodded and then bowed to me, softly uttering, _**"Ngaytxoa, Karyu Txa'vit."**_ Nodding to her, I gave her a smile. "Apology accepted, Txe'lan; you didn't know," I replied. Fifteen minutes later, Txe'lan again watched in awe as I carefully and painlessly removed each and every one of the needles that I had inserted into _Sa'nok._

The _Palulukan_ didn't react at all to this, for she was deeply asleep on the Fleece Pile, purring still as she dreamed pleasant dreams. Once I'd removed all the acupuncture needles, the Dragon Weyr _shifted_ them, and the other items we had used to treat _Sa'nok_, away to be cleaned and stored or - in the case of the herb and oil remains - broken down into energy. "Alright" I said, once everything had been cleared away, "that's that done. Now… let's check on that _Ikran_!" And with those words, Txe'lan, and I headed into the Dragon Weyr's Clinic. Unfortunately, what Txe'lan had said was absolutely true: the poor white _Ikran's_ condition _was_ critical, so much so that we didn't just check on it; we actually ended up staying in the Clinic, for thirty days and thirty nights to assist with his treatment.

During that time, Txe'lan and I became the Dragon Weyr's 'gophers' - we would 'go for this and go for that' - stopping only at night whereupon we would sleep in shifts, in small cots thoughtfully prepared by the great Nexus. Replacement organs, bio-system cybernetics, herbal remedies, fresh blood replicated from a small sample of the _Ikran's_ own... The Dragon Weyr seemed to have no sense for the times, delicately mixing the ancient and the modern, weaving a balance between primitive medicine and advanced science, blending the old with the new as it worked tirelessly to save the _Ikran's_ life. Txe'lan and I didn't care, however; we just kept working, acquiring whatever the Dragon Weyr needed and bringing said items to the Autodoc, so that it could just _keep working_.

Even Falkor and the Pack helped; they fetched and carried items in their mouths when we asked them to. The tension in the Clinic was so thick you could have cut it with a knife, and for a while things got hairy - the poor _Ikran_ actually _died_ three times in the Autodoc! The second time the little _Ikran_ passed away, Txe'lan uttered a soft prayer of healing in Na'vi, and then another to the Dragon Weyr in Khalani. I, too, bowed my head and spoke a few words. _"Join us, Little Brother. Join us in the light, where we stand vigilant. Live for us; that you may help us heal the sick, repair the injured, and bear the Duty that cannot be forsworn. And should you perish, know that you shall always be one of us. You shall always be Family, and will never be forgotten."_

I'm not sure whether our prayers and words really worked, but they must have had _some_ effect, because each time the _Ikran_ flatlined, the Weyr's incredible Autodoc was able to revive him back to life without any complications whatsoever. If was as if… despite everything that had happened to him, the little _Ikran refused to die_, and wasinstead _fighting,_ with everything he had, to return to us, to live. Ever so slowly, ever so gradually, the little animal healed. Once the Ikran's condition was stable enough, I was able to sit with him in the Autodoc, cradling his small head in my arms as I carefully spoon-fed him a warm broth prepared by Txe'lan, consisting of blood mixed with small scraps of raw Yerik meat.

When he gazed up at me - chirruping and trilling softly once in awhile between feedings - and I gazed back at him, I felt the greatest love and affection for him. 'I... I feel like I'm feeding my own son...' I thought. Roughly forty-five days later, the _Ikran_ was healed, his treatment complete. When the Dragon Weyr gave us a summary of just _what_ it had needed to do in order to treat the animal however… I held Txe'lan close, my heart heavy, as she wept bitterly into my shoulder. The little white _Ikran_... was more _machine_ now, than animal. Oh, there was no evidence of it - and he appeared perfectly normal, as he gazed at us with bright golden eyes from within the Autodoc - but the Dragon Weyr, Txe'lan and I knew the truth.

Almost fifty percent of his original body was gone, replaced by quantum bonded bio-system cybernetic skeletal grafts and implants. Several of his major internal organs had needed to be replaced entirely with freshly cloned, undamaged ones, whilst others would never function properly again without assistance from the colony of Nanocytes, which now resided within the animal's body. Even worse, was that the _Ikran_ would never be able to fly naturally again. Irreparable brain and nervous system damage had meant the irrecoverable loss of his flight ability, but he would be able to at least unfurl his new wings and use them to glide via the micro-gravitic thrusters built into their undersides.

Now, you must understand, dear readers, that as Txe'lan continued to weep in my arms, she was not weeping because the _Ikran_ would never be a normal animal; on the contrary, she was awed that the Dragon Weyr had been able to pull off such an incredible miracle. No... Txe'lan wept because - as a Na'vi, even with her understanding of _tawtute_ and Protoss sciences - she couldn't quite come to terms with cold, artificial things being placed within a living body. She was comfortable with the hard technology of the Dragon Weyr, and my Nanocyte Filter, but the idea and concept of _true_ cybernetics - the merging of the machine so completely with the organic - was unnerving to her, since it was something she'd never even conceived of, or thought possible, before.

A _living being_ restored to health via machine parts that were themselves _lifeless?_ _Inconceivable!_ Gradually, Txe'lan's weeping slowed, and then finally halted. As I continued to hold her, she looked up at me, her eyes puffy from crying and her cyan face wet with the stains of her tears. _**"Irayo, Txa'vit, irayo"**_ she choked softly. With a gentle nod of my head, I replied, "Do not be upset, Txe'lan, that this Ikran will never again be a normal animal. Instead, rejoice, for the Dragon Weyr has performed a miracle and has restored him to life. Txra'kon We'er has blessed this Ikran and made him Weyr'eveng. This, then, is what we will call him: _Miracle, Weyr'eveng;_ _Child of the Weyr_."

That, dear readers, was how the young _Ikran_, Miracle, became the newest member of our menagerie. Time marched on as it always does, and as the days rolled into months - inspired by what she had seen the Dragon Weyr accomplish - Txe'lan withdrew from her duties as its _Tsa'hik_ in order to return to her studies. This time, however, instead of learning about all sciences in a general sense, she focused herself upon one particular discipline: the science of Cybernetics. Under the tutelage of the Dragon Weyr, she learned what Cybernetics could do to a person's body in benevolent ways. She learned of cybernetics in medicine; how artificial hearts and other organs - and minor enhancements such as reflex boosters or mnemonic implants - could be used to save people's lives, or enhance one's body.

She learned of cybernetics for amputees; how lost limbs might be replaced with hardier cybernetic equivalents, and was stunned when she discovered that some of the menagerie's animals - most notably Falkor and Beauty - had been healed via Bio-System limb and organ replacements. Txe'lan learned of total body prosthesis; how one's brain could be placed into an almost completely artificial body, such as the shell of a Protoss Dragoon. She also learned about the _malevolent_ aspects of Cybernetics. She learned of cybernetic implants and other devices designed to suppress psionic power, brutally extract information, utterly wipe away a person's deepest memories, or even reprogram a living being's consciousness.

She learned of the horror of Cybernetic Addiction and of the way that some cyborgs - particularly "full-conversion 'borgs" - began to feel after a time: superior and aloof to the organic beings they once called friends. Finally, Txe'lan bore witness to the horrifying nightmare fuel of grisly "Body Chop-Shops" and the vile Black Market Cyber-Villains whom not only ran the dreadful places, but kept them supplied via vicious gangs of thugs whom would happily acquire cybernetic parts from _anyone_... even going so far as to violate the graves of dead cyborgs and hack parts from the bodies of those still living! Eventually - at the culmination of her studies - Txe'lan willingly underwent surgery in the Autodoc _to attain some cybernetics herself;_ a series of small implants that would allow her to better perform her function as Tsa'hik of the Nexus.

The devices she received were a neural processing adjunct, an eidetic implant to enhance her memory, and an attachment to the end of her _tswin_ that would enable her to directly join her mind with the construct, in a form of _Tsaheylu_. Although the devices given to her by the Dragon Weyr were nothing special and the surgery relatively routine, when she emerged from the Autodoc and I beheld the golden psi-steel extension seamlessly attached to and merged with the cyan of her tswin, I was shocked and amazed, for she was the first Na'vi ever to receive and willingly accept cybernetics. Even better - armed with her new knowledge and understanding of the devices and their functions - instead of fearing them, she was overjoyed and believed that they brought her even closer to the incredible fortress that she revered as her new deity. **_"They are Txra'kon We'er's Gift, Txa'vit,"_** she said, **_"and I am glad that he has honored me so!"_**

As Txe'lan resumed her role as Tsa'hik and drew ever closer to the Dragon Weyr, under the watchful eye of my Palulukan friend _Sa'nok_ the young _Ikran_, Miracle, began to integrate into our family. He didn't seem to mind at all that he couldn't fly; on the contrary, he simply lived his life as best he could. After Txe'lan and I trained him not to urinate and defecate inside, Miracle chose the Dragon Weyr as his permanent home, rather than one of the Nests already occupied by Leaf and Cloud. He ate voraciously, grew like a weed, and became a rambunctious ground-pounder, often engaging Falkor and the Pack in rollicking games of chase and tag to dissipate the tremendous heat that built up as a result of his unusual avian-like metabolism.

The young _Ikran_ was just _full_ of life and was always getting into mischief; Txe'lan and I had to reprimand him severely one day when he somehow got into the Dragon Weyr's Laboratory and smashed a slew of delicate glassware. '... and how, by Adun's blessed grace, did he manage to piss off an _entire herd_ of Hammerhead Titanotheres and send them stampeding towards the Weyr?' I wondered. Luckily no one had been hurt - Miracle had used his Warp Beacon to Gate away to safety when things had gotten hairy and the herd had successfully been repulsed by the expanded shield of the Dragon Weyr - but after the incident, _Sa'nok_ had disciplined him severely, nipping him on his backside and boxing his ears!

His advanced cybernetics made him slightly stronger and hardier than the other animals of the menagerie, and when he learned this, things took a turn for the worse; he began to challenge Falkor for the position of my favorite and would bully and boss the other animals about, snapping at them and roughly pushing them away from me when I made to pet them or spend time with them. _Sa'nok_ soon put a stop to this, however, for when he dared to challenge _her_ one day - in full view of Txe'lan and I no less - she utterly _dominated_ him, pinning him to the ground then _roaring_ in his face! Although he struggled valiantly, try as he might, he could not break free from beneath the crushing, dinner-plate sized paw that pinned him, and eventually - with a high-pitched, keening cry of despair - he gave in, and submitted.

Afterward, _Sa'nok_ gently curled around him and began to lick-groom him until he trilled softly and closed his eyes in quiet happiness. Unfortunately, as time passed by, Txe'lan and I began to realize something tragic about the newest member of our menagerie. Although somewhat mitigated by his cybernetics, due to his irreparable brain damage, the young _Ikran_, Miracle... would forever remain young. Like Peter Pan before him, he would "never grow up"; he would always view the world with the innocent eyes and mental faculties of a young child. We also noticed that sometimes, there were periods where Miracle would simply _stop_; he would 'zone out' and _stare_ at something far, far away that only he could see... And then, a few moments later, he would return to us, twice as rambunctious as before.

Miracle knew he wasn't like other _Ikran_ - he would never be able to truly fly or take a mate - but despite that and his mental problems, Txe'lan and I _vowed_ to give him the very best quality of life that we could! He bonded well with all of us, but - like _Sa'nok_ had grown close to me - _he_ grew especially close to Txe'lan. Although he would sometimes accompany me on my Veterinary missions with _Sa'nok_ and Falkor, mostly, he would remain within the Dragon Weyr, staying close to Txe'lan and accompanying her as she went about her duties as _Tsa'hik_. He liked things that glittered and shone, and loved the many simple, sturdy toys that I made for him to play with, particularly a set of wooden blocks whose faces were etched with glittering, painted Khalani Glyphs. He also loved being read to by me, and loved to hear stories told by Txe'lan of her time as a Child of Eywa. The one thing that Miracle _truly_ adored, however... was music.


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer:** _Blah, Blah, Blah. I don't own Avatar; James Cameron does. All the Avatar stuff belongs to him. However, my Na'vi character, myself, the Dragon Weyr and its technologies, and the Pandoran animals of my menagerie are all mine. The Protoss - apart from my characters - all belong to Blizzard Entertainment._

**Pandora's Templar**

A Work-In-Progress Story by Coranth Dehanae

Chapter 3

(Continued from Chapter 2…)

Miracle adored any song that he could 'sing' by humming, trilling, or crooning along with the chorus. He adored the sound of the human voice - such as the work of Ladysmith Black Mambazo - and adored songs such as Elton John's 'Rocket Man', 'Goodbye Yellow Brick Road' and even, 'I Guess That's Why They Call It The Blues' where he could 'sing' with the part featuring Stevie Wonder on Harmonica. He hated and despised Metal, but oddly, liked Trance, especially if said music featured vocalists. He was also mystified by the sound of my Singing Bowl and developed a taste for Chant, for whenever I would chant in Khalani during my morning meditation - sensing that what I was doing was serious and not a game - he would hum solemnly along with me.

And so... our lives continued. I grew older and more skilled in the arts of Psionics and Pandoran Veterinary Medicine, Txe'lan grew wiser as her bond to the Dragon Weyr deepened, and Sa'nok grew a little more affectionate even as her age began to catch up with her. We and the Menagerie aged gracefully as the years passed, and all was fine, until one day, when things took a turn for the worse. Sa'nok was not with me that day as I set out on yet another Veterinary mission - Txe'lan was treating her back at the Dragon Weyr, as her arthritis was acting up - but thankfully, Falkor and Miracle were at my side. As we trekked through the forests of Pandora, searching for animals to help, suddenly, both of my animal companions halted and let out warning snarls...

Just before I heard the unmistakable 'fft' of an arrow being fired! Swiftly I commanded Falkor and Miracle to drop to the ground and then I did the same, throwing myself to the forest floor. It was a good thing we did, too, because seconds later, a single arrow - followed shortly by a _hail_ of them - flew over us and 'thunked' heavily into the surrounding trees! 'Shit!' I thought, shocked. 'What the fuck? Why am I being shot at?' I was soon to learn the answer to that question in a most unpleasant manner... Thankfully, after the initial hail of arrows, no more were fired at us, but as Miracle, Falkor, and I got to our feet, a _figure_ lightly leaped down out of the trees and landed on the ground, crouched, a few feet away from me. As the figure rose to a standing position, Falkor slipped away into the trees, leaving Miracle and I alone!

'Where's he off to?' I wondered. My wondering at my Viperwolf's unusual behavior was cut short, however, when I got a look at the figure standing before me. It was another Na'vi, but unlike Txe'lan, this particular Na'vi was male, and he was also a _giant_, looming over me at a height of eight meters; taller than any Na'vi I had ever seen! He was clad in a _taparrabo_ - to which a vine-cord 'belt' was attached that held a number of stone axes and knives - and upon his head he wore a colorful, iridescent blue _Eyaye_;a War Bonnet. His face was painted with crimson war paint, in a myriad of designs, but as I looked closer, I beheld something horrific… 'Wait a minute...' I realized, 'that's not paint on his face; it's blood! This Na'vi uses _blood_ as war paint!'

He strode towards me, then, his posture displaying his arrogance, his eyes filled with deadly hostility. Nevertheless, when he stopped in front of me - as Miracle whimpered and tried to hide himself behind me - I chose to greet the warrior in peace. _"Kaltxi ma tsmukan, oel ngati kameie,"_ I intoned softly, with a gentle bow. Then, with a smile, I added, _"Ngaru lu fpom srak?"_ The giant Na'vi warrior did not return my greeting. Instead, a sneer twisted his face before he spat at the ground near my feet! Then, he barked, _"Fnu, vrrtep tawtute! You do not value our ways and our methods; do not sully our language with your filthy ketuwong tongue!"_ His anger and hostility, rolling off him in waves, shocked me and I took a step back, bumping into Miracle, who whined softly. _"I... Ma tsmukan... what have I done to anger you so?"_ I asked, softly.

A soft hiss of anger escaped the Na'vi warrior's clenched lips, before he bit out, _"You are no Brother of _mine,_ tawtute vrrtep _filth!_ We of the Clan Tawkami have seen how you sully the bodies of our animal brothers and sisters, and how you use your profane magic to make many of them vanish into air, never to be seen again!"_ Upon hearing that this Na'vi was from Clan Tawkami, I gasped softly in shock, my eyes widening. 'Hold on a moment…' I thought, 'clan Tawkami was Txe'lan's old Clan! I thought they were _peaceful_, but this guy sure isn't! What the hell is going on here?' I returned my attention to the Na'vi, then, and - wanting to quell his hostility towards me and make him see reason - I quietly replied, _"Mawey, tsmukan, mawey; you do not understand what it is that I do. I do not sully the bodies of our animal friends; I heal them when they are sick, and repair their bodies when they are injured. If I cannot do this myself, then I send them away - make them vanish, as you say - to a sacred place for healing."_

My words did not serve to dispel the rage and hostility emanating from the giant Na'vi, not at all. On the contrary, as I spoke, he grew angrier, and angrier, until finally - his eyes hardened chips of gold - he screamed,_ "Lies! Lies! Filthy tawtute lies! You care not for Eywa or her Children!"_ Then, tearing a massive axe from his belt he howled a fearsome war cry, and made to attack me! Due to the Oath I had sworn upon becoming a High Templar - an Oath that forbade me from engaging in combat by any mundane means, even from a distance - I could _not_ raise a hand to defend myself, and I had no time to employ any of my psionic powers. 'I… he's going to kill me,' I thought, horrified. 'Shit… Shit! Shit! Shit! I'm going to die!' I needn't have worried, however…

As the deranged warrior raised his mighty weapon above his head to strike me down, with a frightening, hyena-like cackle, an obsidian-black shape dropped from the trees and landed atop him! "Falkor!" I cried for it was, indeed, my Viperwolf friend. Years of living within the serene influence, and psychically permeated atmosphere of the Dragon Weyr had shaped my friend into a truly nightmarish adversary, far larger and stronger than any other Viperwolf before him. With a deathly growl, he sunk his obsidian teeth into the deranged Na'vi warrior's weapon hand! The warrior, however, would not be dissuaded so easily. Snarling in anger, he wrenched his arm free of Falkor's deadly, wounding grip and then turned to embrace my Viperwolf in mortal combat.

What followed could only be described as the clash of the century; but soon only one of the duelists was left standing - with a choked gurgle, the Na'vi died as Falkor _suffocated_ him, crushing the warrior's windpipe between his mighty jaws... before _tearing out his throat! _Horrified at the brutality of the scene I had just witnessed, I stumbled away from Miracle and then turned and vomited, spilling my recently eaten breakfast to the forest floor. Then, after rinsing my mouth out and washing my face with the aid of some water and a disposable cloth from my Field Medical Kit, I sat down against the roots of a large tree and leaned forward, groaning quietly as I allowed my head to fall into my hands.

Moments later I heard a series of soft canine-like whines and quizzical bird-like chirrups, and then felt the snouts of Miracle and Falkor press gently against my sides, as they both nuzzled me in concern. Raising my head from my hands, I wrapped my arms about them both and pulled them against me in an embrace, my body becoming wracked with choked sobs as I wept softly with relief. I was alive. _They_ were alive. We were all alive. When at last I was able to regain control of myself and cease crying, after releasing my animal friends from my embrace, I wiped the tears from my face with a fresh scrap of gauze cut from the supply in my Field Medical Kit, and then turned my attention to Falkor and began to run my hands over his body, checking him for injuries.

Despite his battle with the hostile Na'vi, aside from a few minor lacerations and cuts - wounds that I could easily heal with the Deep Healing Beam - he hadn't been seriously injured, for which I was thankful. "You... you didn't have to do that, you know" I rasped out softly as I ran the medical instrument over his body. "We could have dealt with that Na'vi some other way; you didn't have to kill him." At this, Falkor shook his head and _woofed_ softly, as if to say, _"Yes, I did."_ At this I was hit with an epiphany, my eyes widening as I stared at him in wonder. "You... you _knew_, didn't you?" I murmured. "You knew that this would happen; that he would attack me. _That's_ why you disappeared into the trees as he approached..." Another soft _woof_ escaping him, my Viperwolf friend nodded; he had indeed known.

As I finished my examination of him - leaning closer to him, to carefully check his newly healed injuries - I realized something both profound and frightening. "Holy shit... you... you were _messing_ with him, weren't you?" Again, Falkor nodded. With enhanced intelligence came enhanced cunning; Falkor could have killed that Na'vi at any time, but instead he had engaged the warrior in a _game_, a deadly one. My Viperwolf had -_played_- with him, sadistically, allowing the Na'vi man to get in a few relatively minor hits whilst taking full advantage of his blind anger to strike again, and again, and again... until there could be only one winner. Although tamed and loyal to me, my Viperwolf friend was - and would always be - a deadly Predator.

With my examination and treatment of Falkor complete, I turned to check on Miracle. Thankfully he was uninjured, but upon seeing him, sadness welled up within me, for he was gently pawing at the body of the dead Na'vi, and occasionally prodding it with his snout, as if unable to comprehend what had happened. "Miracle, come over here to Daddy, alright? Come away from there, come on!" I called softly. At first, Miracle didn't respond to my call, but then - giving me a look that was utterly _stricken_ - he slowly ambled over to me, and then sat down on his haunches in front of me, next to Falkor. Cocking his head, the young _Ikran_ whined softly and then unsheathing one of the claws at the end of his left forepaw, he used the deadly implement to _write in the dirt_, using the simple English that I and Txe'lan had taught him.

Slowly, laboriously, in a childlike script, he wrote, **"Blu man bad?"** Saltwater welling within my eyes once more, I swallowed thickly, before answering, "Yes, Miracle, he was a very bad man." At my reply, the childlike _Ikran_ blinked, and then nodded slowly. Then, after using his paw to 'clear the board' so to speak, he wrote **"Woolf kil bad man?"** Blinking to try to hold back the tears threatening to fall, I rasped, "Yes… Falkor killed the bad man..." At this, Miracle lowered his head, letting out a quiet keening cry of mourning. It was the sound that did it; I cried again, and as my tears ran down my cheeks to fall to the ground, I raged at myself internally. 'God damn it; Txe'lan warned me that we wouldn't be able to keep Miracle sheltered forever... she fucking _warned_ me that one day he was going to see something like this. I... I just wish it hadn't been today or... _this!_' I thought, closing my eyes.

A nuzzle from Falkor, followed by the gentle trilling of Miracle, made me reopen my eyes. I looked at him, and he gestured to the ground; there, I once again saw his simple, childlike script, written in the dirt. "**New this was a wun way tiket, but yew new i had to come..."** The line - once typed on a small computer keyboard, attached to the Fluid Breathing Suit worn by a fictional man named Virgil Brigman, in the Film, 'The Abyss' - made me let out a watery chuckle. "Oh, you... I knew I shouldn't have let you and Txe'lan watch all those old movies..." With those words, I embraced Miracle again, but this time he allowed it only briefly, before he pulled away to write **"Home?"** With a smile, I rose to my feet and then whistled to Falkor. "Yes" I replied, "come on guys; no more work for today. Let's go home..."


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer:** _Blah, Blah, Blah. I don't own Avatar; James Cameron does. All the Avatar stuff belongs to him. However, my Na'vi character, myself, the Dragon Weyr and its technologies, and the Pandoran animals of my menagerie are all mine. The Protoss - apart from my characters - all belong to Blizzard Entertainment._

**Pandora's Templar**

A Work-In-Progress Story by Coranth Dehanae

Chapter 4

(Continued from Chapter 3…)

Unfortunately, however, we could not go home just yet. The slightest noise - a twig snapping - prompted Falkor and Miracle to begin snarling in warning as they swiftly turned back to face the forest behind us. Instinctively I turned with them, but slower, as I carefully drew upon my reserves of psychic power and prepared a Psionic Blast in my hand to throw. 'Whatever is coming now, I won't face it unprepared; not again!' I thought. Hefting the condensed sphere of psionic energy in preparation to throw it, I decided to call out the hidden threat. Raising my voice above the unholy din of Falkor and Miracle's snarling, I shouted, "Whoever or whatever you are... _show yourselves, NOW!_"

"I, David Boucher, High Templar of Pandora, command you! Get the fuck out here, _now_, lest I send my animal friends to _find you!_" As the echo of my voice faded away amongst the trees, in Khalani, I softly commanded Falkor and Miracle to _hush_... and then there was silence in the forest, not a sound save for our quiet breathing, and the world that continued to live around us. My body tense, and mind alert, with Falkor and Miracle at my sides, I waited to face whatever would come. I did not have to wait for long... Soon, there came the gentle sound of leaves rustling softly in the wind... and then dropping down from out of the trees, and walking slowly out from the dense foliage, _they_ came…

Men. Women. Children. Adults. Elders. Weavers and Craftsmen, Warriors and Hunters, and many others both young and old. As they emerged from the forest to surround us, I did a quick estimate, my heart dropping into my stomach. 'By Adun... there has to be at least a hundred and fifty of them!' I thought, alarmed. I, Falkor and Miracle stood surrounded... by an _entire clan_ of Na'vi! 'Ah, shit...' I thought, drawing upon a little more of my psychic power, as I prepared myself for battle, 'today's just going to be one of those days, I guess...' Like the warrior whom had attacked me before, these Na'vi were all the proper size for their race, or variants thereof... but _unlike_ the warrior whom Falkor had killed, they made no move to challenge, or attack me, at all. With a quiet sigh, I dispelled my Psionic Pulse - siphoning the energy that I had used to create it back into my reserves - and then I waited to see what they would do.

The Clan of Na'vi continued to emerge from the forest until all were present, and as they did so I began to see that something about them was very, very wrong. The expressions on their faces... were broken. The looks in their eyes... were lifeless. Additionally, nearly all of the Na'vi were _emaciated_ - I could clearly see their _bones_ poking through their skin - and many appeared to be ill and sickly. The only Na'vi who appeared to be of good healtha nd weight, were fifteen hunters, each of whom possessed a bow larger than my entire body. 'Right... they were the ones who fired the hail of arrows at me,' I deduced, 'but... why the hell didn't they interfere when Falkor killed the one who tried to fight me?' As I pondered this question, suddenly, from out of the Clan of Na'vi stepped a female.

Like the rest of the clan members, she wore a _taparrabo_ about her waist, but she also wore a brightly coloured _turinash,_ a 'spirit robe', wrapped about her body. Simple bracelets woven from coloured plant fibers adorned her wrists and ankles, and atop her head rested an elaborate headdress intricately crafted from dozens of feathers and beads. '... and she would be the Clan's _Tsa'hik_.' I thought. 'Hnnn... I wonder what she wants.' As it turned out, the Na'vi _Tsa'hik _desired nothing from us at all. With slow, deliberate movements, she moved toward us and then _walked right past us_, as though I and my animal friends didn't exist! Making her way over to the dead Na'vi that Falkor had killed, the _Tsa'hik_ knelt down by the body, and then with her fingers she closed his eyes, softly uttering, _"Oh, Ema'zu, you blind, stupid arrogant fool... Eywa ngahu."_

With this last rite done, the _Tsa'hik_ carefully removed the War Bonnet from the warrior's head, and then reached down to a handmade leather pouch at her side to withdraw from it what appeared to be a small glowing light. 'No... Not a light, a _seed_' I realized a moment later, when I was able to get a better look at what it was. 'That's an _atokirina_ - one of the seeds of the sacred Tree of Souls!' Awe filled my thoughts, a feeling that was reflected back at me by Txe'lan and the Dragon Weyr, for this was the first time that she, the great Nexus, and I had truly seen one of these seeds. With bated breath, I looked on as the _Tsa'hik_ gently placed the seed upon the fallen warrior's chest, over his heart.

Then, moments later I watched, half in horror and half in awe - a chill running down my spine - as from deep beneath the earth, a mass of _vines_ rose to gently embrace the fallen Na'vi... and then, those vines gently pulled him beneath the ground, burying him. A feeling of solemnity passed between the three of us, then, as we realized what had happened: _Eywa_ had claimed him. A short while later, the Tsa'hik stood and made her way over to me, her movement so swift that it prompted Falkor and Miracle to start snarling again. The _Tsa'hik_ was undeterred by this. however; in fact, when she reached me, she stopped in front of me, knelt again to look at my animal companions and softly said, _"Mawey Palulukan Makto, Fahl'korr, Mir'a'kel... Mawey."_

Hearing this foreign Na'vi - whom I'd never met before - speak the names of my friends, made me take a step back in surprise. Falkor and Miracle, too, were surprised; as she spoke their names, they stopped snarling and gazed at the _Tsa'hik_, letting out soft, puzzled-sounding whines. _"You... you know of us?"_ I enquired. _"Srane"_, the Tsa'hik replied, _"I do know of you, and know you well. Unlike my former mate whom was blind, I See You, Palulukan Makto. You may not believe in Eywa, but I see Her working through you; see how you heal Her animal children, returning those whom can be, safely, whilst looking after those whom cannot be returned. We know you look after them at your place of healing; I and the other Tawkami have Seen you perform great works there. If only my mate hadn't been too blind to See the same." _

At this, I swallowed thickly to moisten my suddenly dry throat, before replying. _"He... He... the man Falkor killed was your mate?"_ The Tsa'hik nodded, before replying, _"My name is San'eya - and yes, Palulukan Makto, he was. He was also our Olo'eyktan." _With a weary sigh, she continued, _"Ema'zu... I loved him, once; a long time ago, when he was but a young, foolish warrior, with even more foolish dreams. When he rose to become Olo'eyktan, however... something changed within him. He became cruel and cold, caring not for the welfare of our Clan, but only for his own selfish wants and desires. It was he, who told our hunters to fire upon you, as you made your way peacefully through this forest..." _

Raising a hand to interrupt her, I replied, _"Forgive me for interrupting, Tsa'hik San'eya, but - when Falkor struck Ema'zu down... why didn't you or the other warriors interfere?"_ With a shake of her head, she answered. _"He forbade us from doing so; he desired to challenge you alone, thinking that you would be as easy to defeat as any other Tawtute. He cared not that you had befriended Eywa's animal children, or that they might fight for you."_ As the Tsa'hik finished speaking, I performed before her a kneeling bow so deep that my forehead touched the forest floor. _"Ngaytxoa, Tsa'hik San'eya. I... I never meant for this to happen!" _I said,my voice filled with regret._ "I... I tried to tell him I meant no harm but... Ngaytxoa." _I apologized, my voice thick with emotion. When she heard my apology, San'eya hissed softly in agitation and then reached down to grab me and haul me to my feet!

_"Do _not_ apologize for his foolishness, Palulukan Makto!"_ she snapped, angrily._ "I... I tried _so hard_ to make him see reason; to make him see that you were not the evil Tawtute whom cruelly took the life of his Father before him, but his rage made him blind. It was his choice to challenge you, and with that choice he made those Children of Eywa whom follow you angry. He chose his fate, and now, we must choose ours." _And with those words - before I could say or do anything to stop her - she carefully adjusted the War Bonnet, and then _placed it on my head! _Then, stepping back from me, she raised her voice and proclaimed, _"We of the Tawkami Clan choose to bind our fate to yours! We wish you Txa'vit, Palulukan Makto of Txra'kon Weyr, to lead us as our Olo'eyktan!" _

Upon hearing her proclamation, shock thundered through my thoughts - an emotion which was doubly reflected back to me by the Dragon Weyr, and then by Txe'lan via her bond to the great construct. Struggling not to be overwhelmed by the strength of the emotion, I replied, _"Ah, let me think about this..."_ And I did, for approximately, 0.6 seconds. After that time, I turned back to San'eya and shouted, _"Are you __**serious**__!"_ When the Tsa'hik of Clan Tawkami regally nodded her head, I heaved a frustrated sigh, and then began to pace rapidly back and forth in front of her, causing my templar robe to billow out behind me like an emerald-green wave. _"Look... with all due respect, ma'am... I __**cannot**__ do this! I __**cannot**__!" I said as I paced. "I am a __**Veterinarian**__; - a healer and caretaker of animals. I... I wouldn't know the __**first thing**__ about leading a Clan of Na'vi, let alone yours! Can you not select one from among your Clan to lead you?"_

With a shake of her head, San'eya replied, _"Normally, that __**is**__ how it is done! A new Olo'eyktan is chosen when the old chooses to step down due to age, or dies due to illness or injury - but... when Ema'zu became Olo'eyktan of our Clan he decreed that he would only step down if the one who would replace him as Olo'eyktan could win against him in a trial by combat. Palulukan Makto... __**every**__ single male member, and every single __**female**__ member of our Clan - besides myself - has tried to defeat him in combat. We... we all failed..."_ At this, I became suspicious. 'She's telling lies,' I thought to myself. 'She has to be! There is no fucking way that every single warrior of the Clan could fail to defeat just one man in combat!'

Aloud, I said, _"Forgive me, Tsa'hik, but I believe that you are lying. There is no way that all of you could utterly fail to defeat __**one man**__!"_ Upon hearing my reply, San'eya became incensed. Reaching out to me, she seized me by the arm - forcing me to stop pacing - and then got in my face, looming over me, as she screamed, _"You think I lie, Palulukan Makto? Do you think we __**haven't**__ tried to defeat Ema'zu in combat? Let me show you what he did to the best of us! Lompor, step forward, that Palulukan Makto may See you!"_ The young warrior who wearily stepped forward at her call was a true giant among his kin - almost the size of Ema'zu himself! His heavily muscled arms were decorated with a myriad of leather and bone bracelets, and he wielded the longest spear I'd ever seen in my life, topped with a lethal, barbed bone head, which - thankfully - _wasn't_ coated with deadly neurotoxin!

As he approached us, however, I saw that he'd had seven shades of shit kicked out of him. His face was covered with blood that had run down from a scabbed over cut on his forehead and congealed, and his right arm was obviously broken, for it was cradled against his chest, supported by a plant-fiber sling. His left leg, too, was broken - it was wrapped in a splint crafted from scraps of dead wood - and his entire body was covered with a mass of cuts, lacerations, and bruising. "By Adun..." I murmured in English, looking him over, "that looks horrible!" Then, switching back to Na'vi, I asked, _"Olo'eyktan Ema'zu did this to you, ma tsmukan?"_ The warrior, Lompor, nodded wearily, before he replied, _"Srane, Palulukan Makto; I attempted to duel him two days ago, and he did this to me for my attempt." _

Nodding to him, I slowly reached into a pocket of my Templar Robe and pulled from it a portable Warp Beacon. As he saw me withdraw the device, his golden eyes seemed to light up and he started to utter a prayer of thanks, but I silenced him with a _look_ as I sent off a quick warning to the Dragon Weyr and Txe'lan to expect an incoming patient. Within seconds I received an acknowledgement from Txe'lan. _**"Txra'kon We'er is ready to receive Lompor whenever you are ready to send him here, Txa'vit."**_ With the warning sent, I returned my attention to Lompor. _"If you and the rest of your Clan have Seen me and the things I do - as your Tsa'hik claims - then you know what this is"_ I said, as I carefully attached the Warp Beacon to a place on his _taparrabo. _

As I finished attaching the device to him, Lompor nodded. _"Srane" _he replied, _"I know not how it works, but I know it makes the nawm'atan that will guide me to the place of healing. Irayo, Palulukan Makto!" _Giving him a grin, I activated the Warp Beacon, and when the cerulean glow of a Warp Gate surrounded him, just before it pulled him through, I said, _"Call me Txa'vit." _The reaction of the Clan at Lompor's vanishing through the Warp Gate was mixed. The children were at once both awed and curious, whilst many of the adolescents and adults whooped and cheered at what I had done, for they knew that Lompor would soon be back amongst them, hale and hearty once more. The elders, however, swung between agitated and pensive; some even prayed to _Eywa_ that the mighty warrior hadn't been sent to his demise in my _fngap kelku_.

For a moment, San'eya observed their mixed reactions with the fondest of smiles, and then raising a hand, she called, _"Fnu, rutxe, frapo! Fnu rutxe! Lu mawey."_ Once the Clan had quietened and calmed down, San'eya returned her attention to me and said, _"Now, Palulukan Makto, Txa'vit, let us return to what I was previously speaking of. We all tried, and failed to defeat Ema'zu in combat, and thus, he remained Olo'eyktan... until today. You defeated him, Txa'vit; that makes __**you**__ our new Olo'eyktan!"_ At this, I rested my head in my hands for a moment, heaving a frustrated sigh. Then, raising my head to look at San'eya, I replied, _"Technically, Ma'am, it was Falkor who defeated Ema'zu!"_

Upon hearing this, two young children giggled and made their way over to Falkor. Then, without fear, they knelt before my Viperwolf companion and said, _"Hail, Olo'eyktan Fahl'korr; Oeng ngati kamiei!"_ Falkor gazed steadily at his 'new subjects' for a moment, and then with a regal nod of his head, he _woofed_ solemnly at them both, before lowering his head to gently touch each child's forehead with his cold, wet nose! At this, the children leaped to their feet, shrieking with happy laughter. Turning to face the Clan, they cried out, _"The new Olo'eyktan has blessed us in the name of Eywa!"_ before running back to their parents. This caused many of the adults, and even a few of the elders to begin laughing.

Once the laughter had died down, I returned to my conversation with San'eya. _"As I have previously stated, Ma'am, I don't know __**how**__ to be an Olo'eyktan!"_ The _Tsa'hik's_ reply to my answer was vehement. _"Then, I - __**we**__ - will help you! We will all help you!"_ Many adults and even a few Elders nodded at her reply, and I heaved another sigh. 'Well... there goes one 'out' down the drain...' I thought. Aloud, I continued, _"If I __**did**__ become your Clan Leader, Tsa'hik... why should the Clan show me any respect?"_ My question wasn't answered by the _Tsa'hik_, this time, but rather by two adult Na'vi - a male and a female - who stepped from the crowd. _"We would respect you as we would any Olo'eyktan of the People, Palulukan Makto Txa'vit, not just because Eywa works through you, but also because of what you have done for our daughter, Txe'lan; she is healthier and happier than she has __**ever**__ been, because of all you have done!"_

My eyes widening with surprise, I responded, _"You are Txe'lan's parents?"_ The two Na'vi nodded, before the female spoke. _"We are, Palulukan Makto! I am her Sa'nok, Sunu, and this,"_ she said, gesturing to the male standing next to her, _"is my Mate Rìkean, her Sempul. Please, we miss our 'ite very much, and would like to be reunited with her again." _Sighing through my nose, I nodded whilst grinding my teeth behind tightly closed lips! 'Shit… they're really dead-set on me becoming their new Olo'eyktan; something I don't feel I can do! I'd better try one final out…' I thought. Returning my attention to San'eya, I said, _"Tsa'hik San'eya, I am __**not**__ one of the People; I am of the Tawtute! I don't ever want to __**be**__ one of the People, and - even though you say that Eywa works through me - I don't believe in Eywa, at all..."_


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer:** _Blah, Blah, Blah. I don't own Avatar; James Cameron does. All the Avatar stuff belongs to him. However, my Na'vi character, myself, the Dragon Weyr and its technologies, and the Pandoran animals of my menagerie are all mine. The Protoss - apart from my characters - all belong to Blizzard Entertainment._

**Pandora's Templar**

A Work-In-Progress Story by Coranth Dehanae

Chapter 5

(Continued from Chapter 4…)

At this, the _Tsa'hik_ let out a rather undignified snort. _"There are no words in any of our Songs that state that an Olo'eyktan __**must**__ be a member of the Clan, or even one of the People, Txa'vit!"_ she replied. _"And as for not believing in Eywa... you could __**learn**__ to do so; I will teach you of Her and how you might show your respect to Her. You already do so greatly by caring for her animal children!"_ Stressed and somewhat frustrated, I rested my head in my hands for a moment, a soft groan escaping me. 'God damn it... I just can't win, can I?' I thought. _Amusement_ from both the Dragon Weyr and Txe'lan filled my thoughts, then, as Txe'lan answered, '_**No, Txa'vit, in this, you cannot. You should never argue with a Clan's Tsa'hik because no matter what you say, she will, in the end, always get what she wants!'**_

'Yeah, I get that...' I replied. At my reply, Txe'lan and the great Nexus burst into laughter. With that laughter and _amusement_ filling my thoughts, I returned my attention to San'eya and finally asked, "_Why __**me**__?_" When next San'eya answered, I could plainly hear the desperation filling her voice. _"Because we have Seen you, Txa'vit, and we __**know**__ that you will make a __**great**__ Olo'eyktan. Please, Txa'vit, please help us. Please lead us. Please, be our Olo'eyktan..." _Her eyes met mine then, her own pleading, and the very wind without seemed to pause for my answer. Throwing up my hands with a frustrated sigh, I gave it. _"All right, __**all right**__! I... I will become your Olo'eyktan…"_ When they heard my answer, the entire Clan of assembled Na'vi began whooping, hollering, and cheering!

'God damn it' I thought, as I listened to them celebrate, 'I may not want the job... but I'm going to do this right! I'm going to be the best Olo'eyktan that I can be.' When the cheering of the Clan at last faded into silence, I carefully lifted the War Bonnet from my head and handed it to San'eya. _"Now is not a time of war, ma tsmuken, and so I do not need to wear this,"_ I intoned softly. _"Therefore, I will pass it to you; that you may care for it and keep it safe until there is ceremony that requires me to wear it... or until there comes a Time of Great Sorrow."_ San'eya nodded solemnly. _"I shall do as you say, Olo'eyktan,"_ she said quietly. _"Irayo, ma tsmuken,"_ I replied, heaving a sigh of relief. 'Whew! That thing was bloody heavy,' I thought to myself. 'Hopefully, I won't ever need to wear it again.'

With that small matter taken care of, I turned to the assembled Na'vi of Clan Tawkami and began to speak, employing a touch of psychic power to project my voice in order to be heard by everyone. _"Alright, ma olo'"_ I began, _"as you probably already know, my name is David, but if you have trouble pronouncing that you may call me Txa'vit. I am not one of the People - I am of the Tawtute - and I came to Pandora after... after I was betrayed by people I once called family."_ As the assembled Na'vi heard my words they started to look at each other, and I could hear words of disbelief and shock throughout the crowd. The new Olo'eyktan had been _betrayed_ by those whom he once called brother and sister?

Such a thing was so rare among the Na'vi, that it was almost unheard of! When the murmuring of the crowd quietened, I continued, _"Here on Pandora, as you know, I live in a great fngap kelku that is called Dragon Weyr, or Txra'kon We'er, and it is a __**huge**__ place - large enough to house the entire Clan - but I do not expect all of you to live there with me; you may live anywhere you wish within the lands that surround it if you prefer. If you need them I can provide you with wood and other materials to build homes for yourselves wherever you chose to make them."_ At this, several of the Clan Elders began to grumble, and one rudely yelled out, _"You will __**not**__ harm the trees or the land to provide these things!"_

At his shout, several other clan members, too, began to make noises of discontent, and upon seeing this I rested my head in my hands with yet another sigh of frustration. 'And this is exactly why I didn't want this damn job!' I thought. 'It looks like my reign as Olo'eyktan of Clan Tawkami is going to be very, very short!' I needn't have worried, however... Upon seeing my state of frustration - after carefully passing the War Bonnet to another clan member - San'eya swiftly walked up to the Elder whom had shouted so rudely. _"Fnu,"_ she said, rapping him on the head, as if scolding a disobedient child. _"__**Listen**__ to our new Olo'eyktan before you speak skxawng! We all have seen him craft great works without ever harming the land, so if he says he can do this thing for us, then he will, and he will __**not**__ bring harm upon Eywa____by doing so!"_

Suitably chastised, the Elder nodded to the Tsa'hik with a softly muttered, _"Ngaytxoa..."_ and then began to work to quiet the crowd. With that done, San'eya retrieved the War Bonnet and then returned to my side. "Ignore the words of that Elder - he is an old councilman, set in his ways..." Her words caused a chill to run down my spine. 'Yes, and so was Andorhal Vi'thos...' I thought. With that, I fixed the face of the Elder whom had protested in my mind, and sent the mental image back to the Dragon Weyr. Its _suspicion_ and then _acknowledgement_ filled my thoughts; the great Nexus would keep an eye on the old Na'vi via a Nanocyte manufactured _Observer_ at the very first opportunity to do so. 'Thank you, my friend' I thought, and then returned my attention to San'eya as she continued to speak.

_"... We know that you have never - and __**would**__ never - harm Eywa, no matter what you choose to do. Speak, Txa'vit, please"_ she encouraged me, gently. _"We are your Clan, now, and we will listen."_ Raising my head from my hands, I nodded to her in acknowledgement, and then - with a weary sigh - I continued. _"Txra'kon We'er is a place of healing and sanctuary for Eywa's animal children, and when we go there, you will see animals that would normally hunt each other - such as Nantang, Palulukan, and Ikran - living together in peace and friendship; like Falkor and Miracle here"_ I said, softly caressing their heads as they sat patiently at my sides. Murring and chirruping softly, my two animal friends bumped against me as they leaned into my touch, causing me to stumble a little; this in turn caused gentle, amused laughter to break out among the assembled Clan.

_"You may __**carry**__ tsko swizaw, tukru, tstal, or any other weapon inside Txra'kon We'er, and in the clearing that surrounds it,"_ I continued, _"but you must never __**use**__ them there unless there comes a Time of Great Sorrow, when Txra'kon We'er and the animals there must be defended. If any of you fail to follow this law you will be exiled __**immediately**__ from the Clan; I will __**not**__ have violence in my - our - kelku!" _I lapsed into silence, then, sensing that the moment following such a statement as this would be critical. 'Will they acknowledge it?' I wondered. With bated breath, I waited to see what they would do. Soon, there was a murmur of, _"Srane, Olo'eyktan,"_ followed by unanimous nodding.

At this, I heaved a sigh of relief, and then continued, _"So long as you follow this simple law, you will live as you always have; I will __**not**__ force you to immerse yourself in my ways and live as I do. If, however, you would __**like**__ to learn of Txra'kon We'er and its workings - as well as the ways in which I care for our animal brothers and sisters, I will be happy to teach you. Should any of you choose to live with me at Txra'kon We'er, you will see wondrous things that you might think are hiyìk or even kawng; what I will tell you for now is that this is not so. You will __**need**__ to learn what I can teach you, then. Together, we will teach each other. I… I hope that I will serve you well as your Olo'eyktan. Irayo…"_

As I finished the speech to Clan Tawkami - _my_ Clan - they began to cheer again and as they did so, once again, I sighed wearily. 'I... damn it, I felt I had to say _something_ to them,' I thought to myself 'but by Adun that was pathetic! I just hope what I said wasn't at all patronizing to them; I felt like the "big heap White Man" trying to "lay down the Law to the primitive Injuns" for a moment, there... but that's _**NOT**_ how it's going to be at all! I'm going to be a fair and just leader for these people and I'll follow my Oaths and bloody-well do exactly as I stated!' When the cheering of my new Clan once more faded into silence, I asked those Na'vi whom were able to do so, to catch and make Tsaheylu with wild _Pa'li_ horses; those Na'vi whom were too ill to ride I bade ride tandem with those who could.

I personally had no idea how to catch said _Pa'li_. Oh, I had _treated_ the great Direhorses before - after using my Psionic Ability 'Charm' to calm them so they wouldn't fear me - but I had never actually had to catch or ride them. Fortunately, the warriors and hunters of my Clan had done so many times, and between them they were able to round up an entire herd for our transport back to the Dragon Weyr. I was the last to be seated upon the back of one of the mighty animals; once San'eya was seated - after setting the War Bonnet that I had entrusted to her atop her head - she reached down and hauled me up to sit in front of her and then wrapped an arm about my body, but my being 'in the front seat' was merely a courtesy, as she would be doing the 'driving' so to speak.

Once everyone was seated and as comfortable as was possible, I called out _"Home, to Txra'kon We'er!"_ then whistled to Falkor, and we were off! As always, my faithful Viperwolf companion was able to guide us home - he could do so from nearly _anywhere_ on Pandora - but the journey home was fairly slow going as we had to be careful not to jostle the wounded and ill. By the time we returned to the Dragon Weyr it was late in the day - the sun was setting, the shadows growing long - but the passage of time did nothing to dispel the reaction of the Clan to their first sighting of the Dragon Weyr! When the _Pa'li_ herd drew to a halt - and the Na'vi of Clan Tawkami saw the colossal, glyph-inscribed pyramidal structure and its surrounding buildings, glowing softly in the light of Pandora's gradually setting sun - their reaction was... mixed, to say the least!

Those among the Clan whom before had seen only glimpses of the great structure, gazed upon it with reverence for a moment, before bowing their heads in prayer to _Eywa_, thanking her for allowing them to behold such a place. The Weavers and Craftsmen of the Clan _wept_ openly, tears streaming from their eyes and running down their cheeks, as they beheld and were enthralled by its sheer beauty. The Clan Elders were reacting as Txe'lan had upon seeing the Weyr for the first time; some were _gawping_ - their golden eyes almost popping out of their heads - as they tried to take in everything at once, whilst others were clutching their chests, half in fear, and half in awe that such a place even existed at all!


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer:** _Blah, Blah, Blah. I don't own Avatar; James Cameron does. All the Avatar stuff belongs to him. However, my Na'vi character, myself, the Dragon Weyr and its technologies, and the Pandoran animals of my menagerie are all mine. The Protoss - apart from my characters - all belong to Blizzard Entertainment._

**Pandora's Templar**

A Work-In-Progress Story by Coranth Dehanae

Chapter 6

(Continued from Chapter 5…)

But it was the young children and adolescent teens that 'stole the show'; they were utterly stupefied by the sight of the _Fkio_ perched atop the backs of the _Yerik_ and _Pa'li_, Majestic and Beauty, as said animals calmly ate their evening meal of sweet nectar. They were even more amazed by the sight of three of my Viperwolf Pack - Jack, Dalton and Trigger - wrestling gently with the _Ikran_, Cloud, as beneath the wings of the _Ikranay_, Leaf, the other three members of the Pack - Ieesha, Anaya, and Keewan slept, whilst the Alpha Female, Atreyu, watched her three children and the _Ikran_ carefully, to ensure no one was hurt whilst playing the game. The entire clan relaxed immediately, however, when Lompor passed through the opened Gate of Dawn and strode out to meet us... and what a remarkable change he had undergone!

Replacing the dirty, wounded and bloody warrior that San'eya had introduced to me before was a Na'vi man whom had been freshly bathed and fully healed; the cut on his forehead, the congealed blood on his face, his broken arm and leg, and even his multitude of bruises, was gone - it was as if he had _never_ dueled Ema'zu at all! When he caught sight of us, a smile broke out on the great warrior's face, and then, with a cry of _"Kaltxi, Olo'eyktan Txa'vit!"_ he reached up to help me down from the great Pa'li I was sitting upon with San'eya. Once I was standing upon Pandora Firma, Lompor _embraced_ me in a great, rib-cracking brotherly hug and then - as we helped the other Clan members to dismount with their wounded and ill kin - he began to speak to me, his voice rich with awe and excitement.

_"Txra'kon We'er truly is a place of wonders, Olo'eyktan!"_ he said. "_The nawm'atan brought me to the Klin'ik - the place of healing within Txra'kon We'er - and I __**should**__ have felt afraid to be in such a strange place, but I was not. There I met the Tsa'hik of your fngap kelku - our formerly exiled Clan Sister, Txe'lan - and she welcomed me and explained to me why I felt no fear: Txra'kon We'er is __**alive **__and__**welcomes**__ all who come, no matter who they are! She then led me over to a huge ketuwong machine - and I admit that I was hesitant to follow her at first - but she explained to me that the machine was part of what Txra'kon We'er was: it was a nawm fngap __**toktor**__ that could heal even the gravest of injuries - and she was right!_

_When I stepped into the center of the great machine it __**looked**__ at me with pxay aynari and then pxay aytsyokx filled with strange ketuwong tools came down from above and healed my injuries within moments! When the great fngap toktor had finished with me, Txe'lan then took me to the place where you bathe and had me stand inside what she called the 'Great Rain and Wind Maker.' I... I never knew that heated water could be used for bathing, but as the water flowing from that machine cleaned the dirt from my body and relaxed my muscles I felt as if Eywa herself was working a blessing upon me! The great warm wind that followed when the water stopped relaxed me even more; all I can remember after that is Txe'lan helping me dress again, and then leading me into the place she called We'ertxe'lan._

_There, she had me lay down upon your sleeping place, up against a warm body. For a time, I slept... but when I awoke I was staring into the eyes of a Palulukan and - to my horror - five Nantang had draped themselves over me, and were using me like a... like a Nivi! I screamed with fear and then tried to fight them, but Txra'kon We'er had taken my weapons away and I could not find them! To my surprise, my scream frightened away the Nantang resting atop me; they all hid behind the big Palulukan and it held me down until Txe'lan was able to come to me and explain what kind of unil I had walked into!"_ At this, I couldn't help it; I burst out laughing and Lompor heartily laughed with me! _"You..._ he-he... _you met Sa'nok and the rest of my Nantang Pack, then?"_ I asked, once I was able to regain control of myself.

_"Srane, Olo'eyktan, srane,"_ Lompor replied, with a final chuckle. Then, an expression of wonder filled his face as he continued, _"It's a miracle of Txra'kon We'er, that they are the way they are, Txe'lan said. I... I have never __**touched**__ a Palulukan before, nor had one touch me as gently as she did when she nuzzled into my hands. I also have never apologized to - or play-wrestled with - Nantang that act more like 'eveng then the fearsome predators they should be! Until today..." _Lompor's story didn't 'end' there, of course; many members of the Clan had heard it - and they were spreading it to those that hadn't - and the great warrior's bizarre tale caused a mixed reaction among them.

The children laughed at the thought of my Pack using Lompor as a place to sleep, whilst the Weavers, Craftsmen - and especially the healers - were keen to get inside the Dragon Weyr's Clinic to see the great _fngap toktor_ that Lompor spoke of. The Elders, however, feared the thought of the mighty _Palulukan, Sa'nok,_ living within the Dragon Weyr and many of them became reluctant to even set foot inside the great Nexus. _"Please, ma olo'"_, I said to them in response to this, _"Sa'nok will not hurt any of you! Today... was a bad day for her and her bones ached with the pains of age; chances are that when you see her she will be relaxed and sleeping off her healing treatment. Regardless... Welcome, ma olo', to Txra'kon We'er!"_

And with those words, I welcomed my new Clan to the Dragon Weyr and led them inside. We almost didn't make it to the _Weyrheart_ that evening - the Clan were awed by the sheer size of the Gate of Dawn, and by the entryway with its steam-spouting dragonet heads and artifacts encased within their psychic fields - but, eventually, we made it. From there, the Clan and I moved straight to the Clinic, where those members whom were injured and ill were provided with medical treatment, and those whom were healthy swiftly got a medical checkup, courtesy of the Autodoc. Awe, wonder and delight were the expressions of the hour as ailments and injuries were healed.

Once the ailing members of my Clan were either well again, or on the road to recovery, Txe'lan and I led them out into the _Weyrheart_ and there - in addition to the sheer marvel of the room itself - they beheld a veritable feast, thoughtfully prepared by the Dragon Weyr and set upon the Great Fleece Pile: _Sumin jilt'luy_, or 'leaf plates' filled to capacity with thick _angtsik_ and _yerik_ steaks, traditional _Nikt'chey_ food wraps, and other Pandoran culinary delights, as well as drinks of _Kava_ and various flavorful nectars. The entire Clan _balked_ however, when they saw that said feast was arranged around _Sa'nok_, whom was lying quietly within the center of the Fleece Pile, awake and purring gently as she watched them!

I just laughed heartily at them all before I said, _"Rä'ä txopu, ma 'olo, rä'ä txopu! Come and eat!"_ Like Txe'lan had before them, many of the Na'vi just gaped at me - probably wondering whether I'd gone mad! How could they partake of such a glorious feast, when a _Palulukan_, a 'dry-mouth-bringer-of-fear', was there to guard it? Chuckling softly, I moved over to _Sa'nok_ and sat down before her, picking up my own plate of human-palatable Pandoran foodstuffs and setting it in my lap. Then, silently, I waited. Moments later there was a stricken, feminine cry from an adult as one of the Na'vi - a young girl, whom was probably said adult's daughter - approached from out of the massed Na'vi Clan and then sat down next to me, her golden eyes filled with more than a little apprehension. _"Fyape fko syaw ngar?"_ I queried, softly asking her for her name.

The little girl - well 'little' was an understatement for she was the same size that I was - glanced warily at my _Palulukan_ friend, before looking at me and answering, _"Oeru syaw fko Tìlor te Atan'ite, Olo'eyktan."_ With a warm, affectionate smile, I nodded and then ever so gently took her hand and pressed it against the bridge of my _Palulukan_ friend's muzzle, softly uttering _"Fìpo lu Sa'nok te We'er'ite."_ Happiness welled within my heart, then, for the child's expression became one of awe as - in response to her touch - the supposedly terrifying predator did _absolutely nothing_; _Sa'nok_ just gazed fondly at the girl and continued to breathe, her purrs becoming louder! Now, however, the little girl, Tìlor, seemed unsure of what to do, so I gently moved her hand in a 'stroking' motion as I said, _"Fìfya..."_

Tìlor quickly got the idea and started to stroke the elderly _Palulukan's_ muzzle, a soft delighted gasp escaping her, which was soon echoed by a soft mewl from _Sa'nok_. Shortly afterwards - as Na'vi etiquette and tradition dictated - I did not eat from my plate first; instead, I passed the _sumin jilt'luy_ to Tìlor so that she could partake of the food laid upon it. When she had taken from it what she wanted, she then passed it back to me so that I could eat. That was it, then - the entire Clan moved to sit with us before _Sa'nok_, and the great feast truly began! Exaggerated stories, talk, gossip, and happy laughter resounded throughout the main room of the _Weyrheart_ as the many _sumin jilt'luy_ were passed from kin, to kin, to kin, such that each Na'vi man, woman, child, adult, and elder fed his or her neighbor.

Even Falkor, the Pack, and Miracle were all well fed that night; the children and adults laughed as the Viperwolves and the Childlike _Ikran _romped here and there, begging for food - and getting more than their fare share of it - with pitiful whimpers and 'puppy dog eyes.' Since I was the Clan's Olo'eyktan, and Txe'lan the primary Tsa'hik, somehow - more often than not - she and I ended up being gifted with the largest servings of the prepared food. I, however, had to refuse much of it - particularly the meat - for although it wasn't toxic, it wasn't palatable to me; I would either become ill from eating it or it would simply... pass right through me. '... And the very _last_ thing I need is to be suffering with diarrhea!'

A grin crossed my face, then, and I started to sing, telepathically, to the Dragon Weyr! _'Ten days on Pandora, got four days to go; Ten days of terror cos I'm glued to the throne; And I'm shittin' in litres and firin' both ends; I'll never shit solid again. And it's cost me me Lifemate for this getaway; 'Stead of helpin' me friends, Christ, I'm stuck here all day; Cos I'm glued to the loo while me Clan are out huntin'; I'll never shit solid again...'_ I didn't know it then, but - as I continued to sing, Kevin Bloody Wilson's "Bali Belly Song" - with lyrics appropriate for my situation and Pandora - the Dragon Weyr was mischievously _translating_ everything I was singing to it into Na'vi and _psychically broadcasting it to the entire Clan!_

Soon, many among the Clan - particularly the females and Elders - began to take offense when they discovered what the song was about... but their protests were drowned out as the males, both adult and adolescent, began to howl with raucous laughter! Even the children of the Clan eventually cottoned on to the comedy of the song; they shrieked and giggled as their scandalized Mothers tried in vain to cover their feline-like ears! Of course, once I realized what the Dragon Weyr had done - after finishing the song and witnessing angry Mothers glaring at me as they uncovered their children's ears - the laughter became replaced by disappointed moans when I reprimanded the great Nexus for translating such an offensive song!

The Dragon Weyr replied to my reprimand with sweet _innocence_ as it sent me a vision of a white dragon whistling innocently, a halo of light above about his head! 'Hey, come on now; none of that! I know you did it, my friend. No more of that, alright? We don't want to corrupt the pure, innocent, Na'vi children with dirty _tawtute_ humor... yet,' I thought. The great construct's _agreement_, followed by a sly feeling of _amusement_, filled my thoughts for a moment, before I belted out another song. This one I gladly allowed the Dragon Weyr to translate and broadcast: a rousing rendition of "Shiny Happy People," by the band R.E.M. The simple, gentle lyrics and joviality of the song seemed to strike a chord with the Clan, for soon they were all singing along with it, many even clapping and dancing to the beat!

When that song was done - as the night continued and the food and drink flowed freely - the Na'vi shared some of _their_ songs with _me_; they sung of Hunting, of the Land, and of course, _Eywa_. After the songs, came the stories… I shared with them enthralling tales from African, Australian, Egyptian, and Native American mythology. The Na'vi particularly enjoyed those stories, as well as those from the mythos of the Aborigines, especially the stories of the Dream Time, the sacred era in which ancestral Totemic Spirit Beings formed The Creation. As thanks for my tales, Tsa'hik San'eya told me stories from Na'vi myth - of the time when _Eywa_ sang the first weaving song, and through it, forged the world.

She told me of the _mas'kit nivi sa'nok_, or "mother loom" - built by the people of the Omatikaya Clan - upon which great works were crafted. San'eya also told me of the mighty _Toruk Makto_, the one whom was Chosen by _Eywa_ to unite all the Clans in Times of Great Sorrow. Once all was done and the great feast ended, the Dragon Weyr _recycled_ empty _sumin jilt'luy _and any remaining leftovers. This, of course, caused great astonishment among the Clan, for their empty plates appeared to _vanish_ in a soft glow of cerulean light, right before their eyes! Once the hullabaloo at that died down - courtesy of Txe'lan's explanation in words and terms the Clan could easily grasp and understand - my Na'vi companion and I prepared to sleep, leaning back into _Sa'nok's_ body, the great _Palulukan_ purring as she curled herself around us.

Then, Falkor, Atreyu, the Pack, and Miracle settled about - and sometimes draped themselves over - our weary bodies whilst above us, my new Clan, too, prepared to sleep. In their family groups, they settled themselves inside great hammocks called _Eywa k'sey nivi bri'sta_, which had thoughtfully been brought into being by the Dragon Wey and then fastened at reasonable height to the ceiling of the _Weyrheart_. As I lay within the warm musty comfort provided by the curl of _Sa'nok's_ body, feeling Falkor laid over my legs and Txe'lan's body pressing gently into my back as she spooned against me, just before I drifted off to sleep, I couldn't help thinking, 'This… has been the best night of my life…' That, dear readers, was how my reign as the new Olo'eyktan of Clan Tawkami began.


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer:** _Blah, Blah, Blah. I don't own Avatar; James Cameron does. All the Avatar stuff belongs to him. However, my Na'vi character, myself, the Dragon Weyr and its technologies, and the Pandoran animals of my menagerie are all mine. The Protoss - apart from my characters - all belong to Blizzard Entertainment._

**Pandora's Templar**

A Work-In-Progress Story by Coranth Dehanae

Chapter 7

(Continued from Chapter 6…)

I, Txe'lan and the Dragon Weyr, took Clan Tawkami under our collective wings and did our very best to teach the Na'vi everything we could. _Never_ did we patronize the Na'vi or treat them like children; we treated them as the equals to us that they were and educated them not by putting them in a classroom all day, but by orating wondrous stories and songs, and by _showing_ and _doing_ the lessons we were teaching, with them! Via the Dragon Weyr's incredible Psiodeck I instructed the warriors and hunters of Tawkami in both Human and Protoss martial arts. Even the most standoffish of Clan Tawkami's warriors could not help but be awed when they were being instructed within the quiet serenity of a Japanese Dojo or Protoss Citadel, not only by me, but also by many of the best Teachers from human and protoss history and present!

'Hard' Psionic Energy they might have been, but their personalities - drawn from real times and given life through the matrices of the Psiodeck - were very, very real-more than one warrior was given the shock of his life as he was taught a rather hard lesson for scoffing at Sun Tzu, General Hong Hi Choi, In Shik Hwang, Ralph Castro, my Father Ar'Adun Teth, Fenix, Benares and other figures. These lessons I taught to the Warriors, they in turn taught to the Healers. Martial arts weren't the only thing I taught, however. During the days when I wasn't teaching the warriors, I took the Healers and Healer Apprentices of Clan Tawkami into the Clinic, where I taught them about the Dragon Weyr's Autodoc and how they might assist the Dragon Weyr with its use, or use it manually when the great Nexus couldn't.

I also tutored the Clan's Healers and Apprentices in the use of 'modern' healing and medicinal practices. Additionally, I often took them on 'walkabout' throughout the clearing in which the Dragon Weyr resided and the surrounding lands, where I would teach them battlefield and Pandoran veterinary medicine. These lessons I taught to the Healers, were in turn taught by them to the Warriors. Soon, almost every Na'vi within the Clan gained an animal companion for life through use of these techniques, and said animals varied greatly! Orphaned _Ikran_ Chicks and _Nantang_ Cubs, _Pa'li_ and _Yerik_ both young and old, _Fkio_, _Prolemuris_... even _Palulukan_ Cubs and a baby Hammerhead Titanothere swelled the ranks of the Menagerie!

As the Menagerie grew, so too did the Dragon Weyr; the Nexus and its many simple pens and nests evolved into a great Homestead for I, my Clan, and our animal friends. Filled with life - and able to serve its function as home and fortress like never before - the great Nexus -_thrived_- and its influence and sheer _happiness_ could be felt everywhere, throughout it, and the lands over which it surveyed. Of course, as the Dragon Weyr evolved, Txe'lan too was kept busy as she taught the Weavers and Craftsmen of Tawkami about the great Nexus, the beauty and terror of Science, and the wonders and pitfalls of Technology. Those she educated were taught how to use the Dragon Weyr's great Psi-Forge, and upon it they made woven psi-steel 'cloth', jewelry, weapons, and even minor cybernetic enhancements that would assist with their everyday lives.

Items made by the Weavers and Craftsmen were gifted to their new Olo'eyktan, _Tsa'hiks_ San'eya and Txe'lan, and their Clan Brothers and Sisters. As their old wood, stone, and leather works began to wear, said items were gradually replaced, and soon, nearly every Na'vi sported a _taparrabo_ of psi-steel weave as well as a mighty psi-steel bow, spear, club, or axe! Additionally, those whom opted to have the correct cybernetics installed were amazed and viewed the Dragon Weyr with ever more awe and reverence when they made _Tsaheylu_ with the great construct and discovered that it was a living thing! The children, too, came to adore the Dragon Weyr, and _everyone_ especially loved its Psiodeck; the Clan called it _swotu unil_ - the sacred place of dreams - for when lessons were ended for the day, it was within the Psiodeck that we all would sit at night with our animal companions, around a _Mreki u'lito, _a Fire Pit, in the Australian Outback.

There, by light of star and flame, we all would bring stories from _Tawtute, Pro'tx'oss, _and _Na'vi_ legend to life! Although we educated the Clan we held steadfast to our Oaths; we never forced our ways and knowledge upon those who did not desire to learn, and did not ever try to 'modernize' them or interfere with their way of life at all. The Na'vi of Clan Tawkami lived as they always had - they retained their unity, simplicity, and their strong connection to _Eywa_ and the land - and yet… They now had a connection with and revered _Txra'kon We'er_, too, and they readily embraced things such as hot showers at the end of a long day of hunting, new knowledge of _how_ _Eywa_ made things the way they were, and of course, 'modern' versions of their traditional tools and weapons.

As Txe'lan and I educated our Clan, in turn, they educated - and in Txe'lan's case _reeducated_ - _us_; they taught us of the land and _Eywa_, of hunting and crafting techniques, of ancient healing and medicinal arts, of weaving, leatherworking, and so much more… Even the _Dragon Weyr _was educated - it learned through _us_ - and its archives and computer processes became filled with a wealth of knowledge and data the likes of which the great construct had never known before! My reign as the new Olo'eyktan of Clan Tawkami wasn't perfect, however; nothing ever is. Sometimes my people didn't always agree with some of the decisions I made, and sometimes I didn't always agree with theirs.

Sometimes beliefs, ideas and ideologies clashed, particularly when Txe'lan - _Tsa'hik_ of the Dragon Weyr - and San'eya - _Tsa'hik_ of _Eywa_ - would enter debates that sometimes turned argumentative, before becoming verbal assaults. When this happened, and the abuse became too much for either _Tsa'hik_ to bear, Txe'lan would retreat deep into her haven within the Dragon Weyr's crystalline computer core to commune with the great Nexus, whilst San'eya would leave the Weyr and retreat into the surrounding forest in order to commune with _Eywa_. Soon afterwards, however, both _Tsa'hiks_ would usually return to the _Weyrheart_ to resume such debates with clearer heads, and they would often include me in them such that I could mediate between them to avoid things once more getting out of hand.

The worst time of my reign, was when Elder Ekevu - the man whom had first protested against my offer to the Clan of building materials - chose to leave us. Ekevu was a stoic traditionalist; he and I had debated and clashed over many things, and he felt unable to walk the new path his old Clan had set foot on. Therefore, along with twenty four other Na'vi who supported him, he chose to leave in order to found, or join, another Clan. During the time I had known him, he and I had grown to respect each other as brothers; I respected him for his near-endless knowledge and wisdom of _Eywa_, Na'vi culture and Clan politics, and he respected me for the things I had done for all the children of _Eywa_, and my knowledge of advanced science, technology, and medicine.

Thus, his leaving was not fuelled with hatred, or violence; instead, we embraced each other, shedding tears of mourning as those who stood with him embraced their kin. _"You... you know that Txra'kon We'er is always open to you, ma tsmukan, should you ever choose to return. You and those who stand with you will __**always**__ be welcome, here!"_ I choked through my tears. _"I... I know, ma Olo'eyktan. Irayo."_ he replied, his own golden eyes misty. And then, that was that; Ekevu and his followers left the Dragon Weyr upon a herd of wild _Pa'li_. As they left, however, I raced out of the Weyr, and raised my hands to cup my mouth. _**"EKEVU,"**_ I cried, _**"EYWA NGAHU, MA TSMUKAN!"**_

As the herd raced away into the surrounding forests, just before I lost sight of them, I heard Ekevu shout, _**"WE'ER NGAHU!"**_ Then, my brother in all but blood was gone. Overcome with loss, I collapsed to my knees and wept softly, my tears staining the earth. I'm not sure how long I stayed there - it might have been minutes, or it might have been hours - but eventually, I felt a hand touch my shoulder. Raising my head, I turned to see the great warrior Lompor crouched beside me, his Prolemuris companion, as always, perched atop his shoulder. Behind him, looking on in sorrow stood the rest of the Clan and their animals, along with Falkor, Miracle, and the Pack. Blinking, Lompor heaved a weary sigh. _"Ekevu was a good man, ma tsmukan,"_ he said.

_"He was,"_ I replied. _"Although he and I clashed on many occasions, I always thought of him as a brother, and no matter what the situation, I __**always**__ listened to his advice and wisdom… even if I sometimes didn't agree with it. He was a valued member of this Clan."_ At that, Lompor nodded. _"He will be missed by all of us,"_ he responded. With those words, we all returned to the sanctuary of the Dragon Weyr. That night we held a celebration in honor of Ekevu and what he had contributed to the Clan; as _Sa'nok_ looked on, we told stories of his deeds as a great hunter, we sang of his deeds as a warrior, and we danced, and feasted to honor him. After that... well, our lives continued, my Clan and I working together to gradually weave a balance between the old, and the new.


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: _Blah, Blah, Blah. I don't own Avatar; James Cameron does. All the Avatar stuff belongs to him. However, my Na'vi character, myself, the Dragon Weyr and its technologies, and the Pandoran animals of my menagerie are all mine. The Protoss - apart from my characters - all belong to Blizzard Entertainment._

Pandora's Templar

A Work-In-Progress Story by Coranth Dehanae

Chapter 8

(Continued from Chapter 7...)

Time, and life, rolled on. Elders returned to _Eywa_ and were mourned, adults became elders, and children became teens and then adults before having children of their own, swelling the ranks of the Clan. But... everything that has a beginning has an end. No, dear readers, I speak not of the end of our Clan, but of an ending far more painful. One day, when I returned home from yet another veterinary mission - this time escorted by Tawkami Clan warriors in addition to Falkor and Miracle - as I entered the _Weyrheart_ to see the familiar sight of my Palulukan friend _Sa'nok_ sleeping upon the Great Fleece Pile, a strange sense of foreboding struck me. I walked over to her. "Hey, big girl..." I murmured.

She lifted her head to look at me, and as our eyes met, I saw something within them I had missed before: luminosity, as though she gazed upon something far beyond this world. A chill ran down my spine. 'Oh, _Sa'nok_...' I thought. Her long tail thumped lightly on the floor as I sat down and gathered her head into my arms. Via the carotid artery in her neck, I could feel her great heartbeat still, but it was slowing and her breathing was erratic, coming in soft shallow gasps. She tilted her head up and once again I met her many eyes. They were filled with an odd sort of wisdom and knowing, as well as peace and love. "Must you go?" I whispered thickly, in English. _Sa'nok_ made a soft mewl in her throat, 'talking' in that odd way of hers.

I had never really comprehended it before, but I did then. _Forgive me, ma 'eveng, but I am tired. So very, very tired..._ My throat seized up. "Please," I hissed, feeling the shadows loom ever closer. _Please don't go. Stay with me just a little longer_. My fingers tightened upon the mobile mane-like frills about the back of her head, which I had used to scratch behind at every opportunity when she itched. It was as if by gripping tight I could stave off the inevitable. I was being selfish, asking what I did, but I couldn't help myself. From almost the very beginning of... all this... _Sa'nok_ had _been there_, and then after the beginning she had ever been a constant presence in the Dragon Weyr - almost a part of the great construct's workings - so much so that I had begun to think that she could never die; that she was immortal.

She was one of our _founders, _and I was not yet ready to let her go. She licked my cheek with her rough, feline-like tongue. Softly kissing her nose, and then pressing one of my cheeks against the side of her muzzle, I breathed in her familiar scent, my whole body taut with fear and denial. 'Oh, Adun and _Eywa_, this can't be happening! Not now; it's too soon!' I thought. A moment later I realized how cruel and selfish I was being. Through various innovative medical treatments and therapies, I had given _Sa'nok_ a quality of life far greater than that experienced by any other _Palulukan_ with her medical problems. Said therapies and treatments had allowed her to live far longer than any other member of her race and like a child, I had assumed that she would live forever because of what I had done for her.

But the treatments were no longer effective, after all these years. I could put her in the Autodoc, and perhaps the wondrous machine could give her another six months, but in the end the result would be the same. My _Palulukan's_ body - my beloved _Pandoran Mother's _body - was worn out, and no amount of cloned organs or bio-system cybernetics could restore it. At this thought, the Dragon Weyr's _affirmation_ and _sadness_ filled my mind. 'But... But how can I bear to lose her?' I thought with a choked sob, as the Weyr's grief - and my own - intensified. _Sa'nok_ turned her great head and licked me again, mewling. _Don't be sad. I shall always be with you, David. Love never dies; only the vessel that holds it._

Her breathing was shallower now. _Can't you feel it?_ Our eyes locked, my two to her six, and for a single instant I _could_ feel it; a sense of utter peace and light enfolded me. It filled me with warmth and love and banished the grief and sorrow. For they could not exist inside such serenity and joy. _Is this what awaits you, ma Sa'nok?_ She rumbled softly. _Yes, ma 'itan, and you as well, someday. It is what Eywa has promised us: a paradise without end. All of Her children must eventually return to where they began... but some, if they are lucky, may yet be reborn. We may meet again, David. Will you wait for me?_ A choked sob escaped me, then. _Always, ma Sa'nok._ I bowed my head. _I always loved you. Even... even when you were grumpy and surly!_

_Sa'nok_ chuffed softly with weakened laughter. _Silly human; I have always known._ She gave a great shuddering breath, and I kissed the top of her forehead, knowing then what I had to do. _Go, Sa'nok_. At that, her eyes narrowed. _Are you sure, David?_ Mutely, I nodded. She would understand. She always did. I felt more than saw her immortal spirit leave her fading body in a burst of white light. Squinting, I saw it run, colossal paws flying, towards the base of a great all-encompassing tree. Just before she reached it, she turned and faced me. _Death is but a door, and time is but a window. I'll be back._ Then, I felt the mighty Palulukan on the Fleece Pile go still, her great head becoming deadweight in my arms as the last breath left her body.

It took me several minutes to process what had happened - my mind refused to comprehend it - but when I finally realized... The joy I had felt moments before evaporated. Ma _Sa'nok_, my noble steed, the beloved Mother of our Clan and Menagerie, the Grand Matriarch of the Dragon Weyr... was gone. I would never have her at my side again. And neither love nor the greatest of the healing arts would bring her back. Grief rose up and attacked me savagely. Still cradling her now limp head, I leaned against _Sa'nok's_ vessel and wept, tears flowing endlessly down my face to stain her burnished, obsidian skin. Because only then did I realize just how much I would miss her.

I'm not sure how long I remained there on the Great Fleece Pile, overwhelmed with grief, but - when the day ended, and the majority of my Clan entered the Weyr as twilight fell - Txe'lan was the first to spot me there. Upon seeing the state I was in, she cried out _**"Txa'vit, what has happened? What is wrong?"**_ Making her way over to me, she crouched down beside me as I kept cradling _Sa'nok's_ head. _**"Txa'vit?"**_ she asked again. Wordlessly, I took her hand and placed it upon _Sa'nok's_ body, and at this, she gasped - horror and grief suffusing her - for the great _Palulukan's_ body was so very, very _cold_... Seconds later, my Na'vi companion stood and raced to the Computer Core of the great Nexus in order to make _Tsaheylu_ with the Dragon Weyr and find out just what had happened.

A short while later - when the Dragon Weyr _shifted_ Txe'lan back to the _Weyrheart_ - she wrapped me in a heartfelt embrace and began to weep, softly. She had not been there at the beginning - when I had first encountered Sa'nok - but, she too had grown to love the friendly _Palulukan_ as much as I. When other members of the Clan began trickling into the Weyrheart via the Transport Alcove - tired and wanting to hang up their possessions and 'hit the shower' after long days of hunting, gathering, weaving, weapon making and other activities - the next person to hear of my beloved Palulukan's passing was Lompor. The great warrior, now one of my finest students in the physical arts of combat, bowed his head in sorrow. Through him, soon, every Na'vi of my Clan heard the devastating news of _Sa'nok's_ passing.

All were saddened by Sa'nok's passing, none more so than the children. _"But, but what about your Oa'tx'o Txok - the __nawm fngp toktor__?"_ said Rhi'ya, Daughter of Kohl and Ii'sha. The young Na'vi child gazed imploringly at me with tear-filled eyes - as if doing so could get me to perform a miracle to bring back the great gentle animal we had all loved so much. _"Can't you use it to... to-"_ She crumpled against me, then, sobbing quietly with distress, and I gave her a hug, a weary sigh escaping me as I replied, _"Strong is the fngap toktor in the arts of healing... but not that strong, ma 'eveng."_ In the days following the death of my beloved Palulukan friend Sa'nok, the Clan and I held a funereal for her

We carefully transported her great body out of the Weyr upon a brilliantly decorated Gravitic Sled and then set it down before the Gate of Dawn, whereupon Tsa'hik San'eya performed the correct rituals to _ensure_ that Eywa would reclaim the vessel that had once housed her incredible, benevolent spirit. The moment when not one, not two, but _hundreds_ of Atokirina, drifted down from on high to cover the body of my friend - before Eywa's vines embraced her and gently pulled her beneath the ground at the Dragon Weyr's gate - was the second most heart wrenching experience I'd ever had in my life!

Once _Eywa _had claimed her, I stood atop the restored earth of the new grave and _glared_ viciously - first at the Land and then at the Sky - as I performed a warrior's song in Na'vi, followed by a powerful Battle Hymn in Khalani, warning both _Eywa_ and Adun that the spirit of a great warrior huntress was on her way. I... I admit that I almost didn't make it through the funeral; I can only be thankful that my Clan was there to buoy my spirits. After the funeral, the Clan and our animal companions held a 'wake' - we feasted, danced, sang, and told stories - to celebrate and honor _Sa'nok. _Since not all of the Clan had gotten to know her very well, it was I and Txe'lan who told the most stories during the 'wake.' Still... There were _some_ clan members whom had often had encounters with Sa'nok, however, and they all had their own tales to tell of the amazingly gentle and humble Palulukan.

_"When I first met Sa'nok"_ said Lompor holding a wooden cup filled with _Kava_ as he swayed gently on his feet due to slight intoxication, _"Like many of you I was deathly afraid, for I thought our Olo'eyktan's Palulukan was like others, and would kill me! I screamed in fear - which frightened the Nantang that were using me as a Nivi - and then I looked for my bow but it was nowhere to be found! Then, suddenly - before I could do anything, or even run, Sa'nok __pinned__ me to the floor beneath her paws, until Tsa'hik Txe'lan came to rescue me!"_ Those among the Clan who had heard this story countless times before simply smiled and shook their heads whilst those whom hadn't heard the story laughed heartily at the images the story conjured in their imaginations.

_"When I first met Sa'nok"_ said Rhi'ya, once the laughter had died down, _"I was outside, playing, and I did not see her watching over me. When I did see her, though... I was terrified! I... I screamed and ran, calling for ma Sa'nu, but I went in the wrong direction; instead of heading for Txra'kon We'er I ran into the forest! When I ran, Sa'nok chased after me - because even with Txra'kon We'er here she knew the forest was still dangerous - and she only wanted to bring me home, but at the time I did not know this. I ran and ran until I fell and twisted my ankle. When it heard my cries of distress, a __wild__ Nantang dropped down from the trees and threatened me. The beast was going to kill me for food - and it almost did - but then I heard a terrible __roar__ as Sa'nok arrived and fought the animal!_

_The mighty Palulukan __killed__ the Nantang - and it was then I believed that my own life was going to end; I believed that Sa'nok wanted me for herself! Instead she... she picked me up by my taparrabo - as if I was one of her own cubs - and brought me back home to Txra'kon We'er..." "... And we are very glad she did!_" Rhi'ya's Mother replied, as she stepped forward to embrace her daughter. _"We thank Eywa and Txra'kon We'er every day that she watched over you..."_ Turning slightly to look at me as she held her _'ite_ close, she continued, _"... and we are also very grateful that you found her and that Txra'kon We'er made her friendly, Olo'eyktan! Without Sa'nok, our 'ite would not be here with us today."_

Rhi'ya's Father - overcome with emotion - merely nodded silently in agreement. Coupled with the loss of my beloved Ieesha, a loss that I was just starting to get over, the loss of my beloved Palulukan friend Sa'nok hit me _hard._ For the next several months after the 'wake' I was inconsolable - merely going through the motions of living without putting any -heart- into it as I began to slip away and just _exist_ again. My Clan, however, refused to let me fall. It was Txe'lan who snapped me out of my grief; one day, as I stood brooding silently on a balcony of the Dragon Weyr, my first Na'vi friend approached me. _**"Txa'vit... ma Txa'vit you cannot, you **_must _**not, do this anymore!"**_ she said, gently taking my hand as she moved to stand beside me. _**"You have a responsibility to your people! Your Clan needs their Olo'eyktan!"**_

At that point something _broke_ inside me - I just couldn't take it anymore - and I turned to embrace her as I wept into her shoulder. "You're right... You're right! I've been neglecting everyone terribly..." I choked out through my tears. At that, Txe'lan, Falkor, the Pack, Miracle, and even the Dragon Weyr vehemently disagreed - they understood as they knew I'd been grieving - but the Na'vi words, growls, yips, chirrups and the burst of _negation_ were a discomfort to me, as I felt I did not deserve them. Once I was able to stop crying, I swiftly strode out of the _Weyrheart_, through the Gate of Dawn, and over to Lompor, who had been acting in my stead and was currently addressing a group of hunters.

_"Ma tsmukan!"_ I called as I made my way over to him. As I approached him, the giant warrior grinned and then turned to sweep me up into a rib-cracking hug! _"It is good to see you again, Txa'vit; I thought you were lost to us!"_ Laughing as I thumped him heartily on the back, I replied, _"For a while, I was, but then this wonderful woman came and found me again!"_ I eyed Txe'lan whom was watching the scene with a smile on her face, and Lompor did, too. _"She is a good woman, Txa'vit," _he replied._"You should hurry and mate with her before Eywa or Txra'kon We'er... or a small Na'vi man might seek her as a mate in your place!"_ Snorting with mirth, I replied, _"__What__ small Na'vi man? Everyone in the Clan is bigger than us... Unless you're speaking of yourself. Are you saying that you're not 'big enough' where it counts?"_

At this, Lompor replied, _"I did not speak those words!"_ Then, growling playfully, he grabbed me in a head lock and ruffled my hair! At this, Txe'lan heaved a long-suffering sigh. _"Tawtute... Na'vi... No matter what race they are, men are all the same..."_ she said. When Lompor, at last, set me down, I said _"I am returned, ma tsmuken, as your Olo'eyktan!"_ Lompor heaved a deep sigh as a look of _relief_ crossed his face. _"__Finally!__"_ he thundered, as behind him the hunters he was previously addressing cheered. _"With all due respect, Txa'vit"_ he continued, _"I am not a leader, and never will be..." _Hearing this negative statement from him made me shake my head. _"Nonsense!"_ I replied. _"You did a fine job! Now, though, I'd better saddle up the Palulukan again..."_

As Lompor laughed at my strange _tawtute_ expression, I turned and opened my mouth to address the group he'd been speaking to... but then, I realized that I hadn't met them before and didn't know their names. Briefly turning back to Lompor, I quietly asked him, _"Ma tsmukan, who are these hunters you are speaking to? I... I regret I do not know their names..."_ Lompor smiled and gestured for the leader of the group to step forward. When he did so, Lompor introduced us. _"This, ma Olo'eyktan,"_ he said, _"is Oo'ano - Master Hunter of Clan Tawkami - and his Senior Hunters. Oo'ano, meet Txa'vit, our... unusual Tawtute Olo'eyktan."_ Although smaller than Lompor, the Master Hunter of Clan Tawkami was still a vastly imposing figure.

Tall and willowy, he wore a great cloak patched together from the hides and feathers of all-manner of animals as well as thick _talioang_ leather bracers around his wrists and ankles. His thick black hair, neatly braided about his _tswin_, was held in place with many intricate ornaments crafted from animal bones, and upon his back, he bore a truly _enormous_ bow, a weapon I had no doubt he could wield with terrifying skill and accuracy. As he was introduced, Master Hunter Oo'ano knelt to be at eye-level with me, and then he stared at me solemnly, his face set in a grave expression. Then, to my utmost horror, he _grinned_ eerily, _"Er, O-Oel ngati kameie..."_ I said to him, nervously. He responded to my greeting by _licking his lips._

His teeth were _way_ too shark-like... _"Um... you aren't thinking about hunting __me__, are you?"_ I asked without thinking. As I finished asked the question, I immediately covered my mouth with a hand, thinking I'd made a terrible faux pas. 'Oh, crap!' I thought, 'I hope he won't take offense. That bow he's got on his back is bigger than I am!' To my surprise, however, instead of taking offense at the question as I'd feared, the Master Hunter threw back his head and howled with laughter! He laughed and laughed and laughed, and his group of Senior Hunters joined him in his merriment. When, at last, he was able to get himself under control, he again gazed at me gravely as he said, _"Kaltxi, Olo'eyktan. I wish we could have met under better circumstances, but what is done is done. We have a problem."_


	9. Chapter 9

Disclaimer: _Blah, Blah, Blah. I don't own Avatar; James Cameron does. All the Avatar stuff belongs to him. However, my Na'vi character, myself, the Dragon Weyr and its technologies, and the Pandoran animals of my menagerie are all mine. The Protoss - apart from my characters - all belong to Blizzard Entertainment._

Pandora's Templar

A Work-In-Progress Story by Coranth Dehanae

Chapter 9

(Continued from Chapter 8...)

_"A few days ago"_ he continued, _"whilst my kin and I were hunting yerik for the Clan, we happened upon the corpse of a Palulukan - but this animal was not like your Sa'nok, ma Olo'eyktan. It was larger; a Male. It appeared to have been... eaten..."_ Seemingly troubled by what he'd said, the Na'vi hunter lapsed into silence, and at this, I frowned. 'That... doesn't seem unusual...' I thought. Aloud I said, _"We know this is not unusual, ma tsmukan; we know that Toruk will hunt Palulukan, and sometimes the larger Ikran will, too. I... I do not understand."_ Oo'ano swallowed nervously, before he continued. _"Neither Toruk nor Ikran did this, ma Olo'eyktan. This Palulukan... it... it was brutally torn apart and eaten... while it was still alive..."_

Oo'ano's group shifted uneasily as he continued. _"The animal's limbs... something had violently torn them off and its body... its body was __mutilated__ - so much of the flesh was gone that my men and I almost didn't recognize the beast for what it was until we moved toward it and saw one of its frills hanging loose from its head by a piece of torn sinew! Around the beast we saw signs of a great and terrible battle, of which the Palulukan was definitely the loser. Trees had been felled, grass and plants had been trampled underfoot, and the blood... there was so much blood..."_ _This_ got my attention. Still frowning in deep thought, I began to pace back and forth. 'Damn... If not _Toruk_ or _Ikran_, then _**what**_ on Pandora could attack - and so viciously tear apart - a _Palulukan_ of all creatures?' I thought.

'Hmm... It _could_ have been another Clan - perhaps the _Palulukan_ threatened their safely, or maybe they battled it because they wanted whatever prey it might have been hunting - but that doesn't fit as most Clans would turn tail and run like hell from a _Palulukan_ rather than fight with one... and even if a Clan _did_ do battle with it, the warriors and hunters of said Clan surely wouldn't tear the poor beast apart; doing something like that definitely isn't the Na'vi way...' When I voiced this thought to Oo'ano, he nodded, before replying, _"You are correct, it is not! Also, no Clan of the People - no matter their strength or number - would ever come between a Palulukan and its prey. It could not have been another Clan that did battle with the Palulukan. _

_If such a battle had taken place we surely would have seen evidence of it: felled bodies of warriors and hunters - and their smashed and broken weapons - lying upon the ground. We did not see these things. From one of the Palulukan's intact fangs, however, we took this..."_ Grimacing with distaste, Oo'ano reached down to a finely crafted woven psi-steel pouch affixed to his _taparrabo_ and carefully withdrew from within it _something_ wrapped in a bundle of sweet-smelling leaves, which he then held out for me to take. Not knowing what said leaf-bundle contained, I pulled a pair of disposable surgical gloves from my Medical Kit and slipped them onto my hands. Then, ever so carefully, I took the leaf-bundle from Oo'ano and opened it.

Almost immediately, however, I wished I hadn't, for as I parted the leaves to reveal the item within, a smell of _rot_ and _decay_ filled my nostrils as my eyes widened in horror. Within that bundle of leaves was a piece of necrotized, rotting, Na'vi _skin tissue!_ At least, that's what it seemed to be. Ever so gently, ever so carefully, I reached out with a finger and _touched_ it. 'Yep... it's definitely Na'vi tissue; it has the same texture' I noted as I gently ran my finger over the sample, 'but it seems... wrong, somehow.' Its texture was where the tissue sample's resemblance to normal Na'vi skin ended. Unlike that from a normal Na'vi man, woman, or child, this piece of skin tissue bore no 'tiger-stripes' as could be found on normal Na'vi skin. It also wasn't the usual cyan colour; it was _white_, as white as the stars in the sky at night.

The piece of tissue was so pale, in fact, that it appeared almost translucent - I could clearly espy through it the veins and arteries that once carried blood. 'What Na'vi Clan has _this_ colour skin?' I wondered. 'I know of no Clans with skin this colour, and the other Clans we've traded with haven't mentioned anything about a Clan of albino Na'vi. I'm sure no Clan is withholding information or lying as that's a foreign concept to the Na'vi. Besides... we have good relations with most other Clans in this area - we trade with them, and they often make mention of animals that need healing - so I'm sure that if there _were_ any strange sightings of Na'vi with unusual skin tones, surely one of the other Olo'eyktans would have mentioned _something_ at the Gatherings.

If no one knows about such a thing, then I can only surmise that somewhere on Pandora must be a Clan of Na'vi that no one has ever encountered before... probably with good reason...' A foreboding chill running down my spine, I carefully rewrapped the sample of tissue back in its leaf bundle, and then stowed it away in my Medical Kit in a small sterile container normally used for the safe disposal of dirtied, non-sterile field dressings and other substances. Then, I returned my attention to Oo'ano, my face set in a troubled expression. _"You seem as troubled as I am ma tsmukan"_ he said. _"Were you able to discern anything from that piece of flesh? If it is some kind of animal hide, I might make a guess and say that it is from an Ikran._

_The only white Ikran we have found so far, however, is Mir'a'kel, and_ _**he **__would __never__ do the terrible things that were done to that poor Palulukan! That piece of flesh could, however, be from a new kind of animal; one that we have never seen..."_ Gently raising a hand for silence, I replied, _"This is no piece of animal flesh, ma tsmukan; it is from a member of a Clan of the People." _Oo'ana's eyes narrowed as he looked upon the place where my Medical Kit rested as though said Kit now contained something that was cursed. _"A piece of skin from one of the __People__, ma Olo'eyktan?"_ he asked, agitated. _"I know of no Clans with skin this colour. Not even the __tawtute__ have skin this colour!"_

At his statement, I shook my head. Then reaching up to place a hand upon his shoulder, I replied. _"Lu mawey, ma tsmukan, Lu mawey."_ Oo'ana closed his eyes for a moment, as he inhaled and exhaled a slow, deep, calming breath. When he opened his eyes again, I began to speak my voice soft, yet touched with power such that he, and the entire group of hunters he led, could hear it. _"There is a rare disease, which some tawtute can be born with, called Albinism. Albinism is not like a normal disease - it's not something that makes you ill - and you cannot 'catch' it from someone who has it"_ I explained. Oo'ana's face creased as he frowned, puzzled by my words. _"If this disease does not make one sick, Txa'vit, then what __does__ it do?"_ he asked.

_"It alters a person's appearance"_ I answered. _"It turns the skin pale as the stars, and the eyes as purple as Pandora's twilight, or sometimes as crimson as blood. The skin of one who has Albinism lacks a dark pigment called 'melanin'; as a result of this, one who has Albinism is more susceptible to burning from the sun, and diseases that affect the skin, such as cancer."_ By the time I finished my explanation, Oo'ana's eyes were wide with epiphany. _"It sounds like a terrible thing, Txa'vit,"_ he said, _"and you believe that there may be a Clan of the People suffering this condition?"_ I possessed no definite answer to his question yet, so I merely shrugged before replying, _"It's possible. Aside from its colour, the piece of flesh __looks__ like that from one of the People, and it has the same texture; I felt it through my gloves when I touched it. I will need to run some tests on in Txra'kon We'er's Laboratory to be sure, however."_

Performing an analysis of the skin tissue - courtesy of the Dragon Weyr's Laboratory - revealed, to my horror, that it was indeed of Na'vi origin! However as I gazed contemplatively at one of the lab's many viewing screens - which was currently displaying a computer enhanced cross-section of said tissue, zoomed all the way down to the genetic level - I saw that there was something seriously _wrong_ with the displayed image. "Please run the genetic scan again, would you, my friend?" _Affirmation_ filled my thoughts as the Dragon Weyr passed the high-powered scanning beam over the tissue sample... and once again, the data gathered via the beam was analyzed and then displayed as the same _wrong_-looking image. At this, I sighed in agitation. "Damn it," I growled, beginning to pace back and forth.

"Are you _sure_ there's nothing wrong with the scanner?" I asked. _Affirmation_, followed by a mixture of _confusion_ and _annoyance_ filled my thoughts. "I know" I replied, "I'm just as puzzled as you are! Okay... we know the tissue is definitely Na'vi, but... the genetic sequencing and chromosomal arrangement are all wrong; they're all scrambled and fucked up!" A mixture of _affirmation_ and _confusion_ filled my thoughts. "Yeah," I replied, "the Na'vi this piece of tissue belongs to should either be seriously deformed, or he shouldn't have lived at _all_... and yet he _did! _He lived... and - according to Oo'ana - with his or her Clan, took on a _Palulukan_. I believe that; it makes sense that our mystery Na'vi was with a group, because no individual Na'vi - no matter how skilled he or she may be - can take on a _Palulukan _one-on-one and expect to win.

So... our mystery Na'vi and his Clan fight, kill, and then _mutilate_ a _Palulukan. _That's a mystery in itself, because both you and I know that _mutilation_ and / or defilement of animal corpses is _not_ the Na'vi way, at all!" _Agreement_ filled my thoughts, then, but said agreement became _neutrality_ as I continued, "But perhaps this Na'vi and his or her Clan don't follow _Eywa._ Maybe they follow a different deity that demands such violence as part of its worship..." The great construct's _contemplation_ filled my thoughts for a moment, and then was replaced by _alertness_ as I continued, "The _Palulukan_ was fought and killed by our mystery Na'vi and his or her Clan... but what _of_ this person?" Pausing, I stared up at the enhanced cross-section of tissue displayed on the viewing screen for a moment. "What _happened_ to him or her; our mystery Na'vi?" I wondered.

"That," - I gestured to the displayed tissue sample - "was found in the _Palulukan's _mouth, impaled upon an intact fang, so... what happened during the battle? Was our mystery Na'vi killed and eaten? Possible... but unlikely; Oo'ana and his men are experts at tracking, and if the Na'vi who lost this piece of flesh was _killed _they surely would have found a body or a blood trail leading to one, but Oo'ana did not see these things. Was our mystery Na'vi able to retreat, but got injured during the process? Again, possible, but Oo'ana said that he and his men found no bodies belonging to any Clan of the people, just the mutilated body of the _Palulukan. _This is what baffles me: How does an entire Clan of albino-skinned Na'vi - who should not be able to exist in the first place due to deeply flawed genetics - kill and then _mutilate_ a _Palulukan, _and then just _disappear_ without a trace?" To my question the Dragon Weyr had no answer.


	10. Chapter 10

Disclaimer: _Blah, Blah, Blah. I don't own Avatar; James Cameron does. All the Avatar stuff belongs to him. However, my Na'vi character, myself, the Dragon Weyr and its technologies, and the Pandoran animals of my menagerie are all mine. The Protoss - apart from my characters - all belong to Blizzard Entertainment._

Pandora's Templar

A Work-In-Progress Story by Coranth Dehanae

Chapter 10

(Continued from Chapter 9...)

My frustration mounting, I resumed my pacing. 'I need to locate Oo'ano and get him to take me to the place where the _Palulukan_ was killed; I need to see it for myself!' I thought. A feeling of _affirmation_ from the Dragon Weyr filled my thoughts for a moment, before said feeling faded into _negation_ - the great construct's way of saying, "Yes, you do, but not like this!" Ceasing my pacing, I blew out a gusty sigh. "You're right, my friend; with the way I'm feeling now - if I visited the place - I wouldn't have a clear head and I might miss something, some crucial detail. It... It's just so frustrating!" _Acknowledgement_ and _sympathy_ flowed into my mind, then, and I stopped pacing to lean against a workbench, resting my head in my hands.

I'm not sure how long I stood there - my thoughts whirling in a jumbled chaotic mass - but soon, a gentle prodding from the Dragon Weyr pulled me back to reality. Raising my head from my palms, I softly said, "Thank you, my friend." A feeling of _welcome_ flowed into my thoughts, and I basked in it for a moment, before coming to a decision. "You know what? Pack it up, and put that tissue sample into stasis; I'm going for a walk to clear my head." At my request the Dragon Weyr did so; as its acknowledgement filled my thoughts, the construct saved the data it had gathered on the tissue sample within its nigh-infinite memory, before carefully shifting the tissue sample into a sterile stasis chamber.

Seconds later, the chamber activated, suspending the tissue sample within a glittering field of psychic power in order to preserve said sample until I was ready to resume work with it. As I packed away the equipment and glassware I had used during the many tests I had run upon it, I smiled to myself. 'No need to worry about contamination of, or cleaning of, this equipment', I thought, 'the Dragon Weyr will clean and maintain it all, thank the Gods.' Once the space I was using had been cleared, and everything had been packed away to my satisfaction, I opened my mouth in a jaw-cracking yawn. 'Ugh... Damn; I feel like I've been in here for years!' I thought. 'That scanner's no miracle machine; it's a _medical device_ normally used to check patients for genetic disorders - such as Cystic Fibrosis, Down syndrome, and Osteosclerosis Congenita - which might be able to be cured with genetic therapy.

I'm surprised that I was even able to get it to _work_ with that tissue, much less get the data that I did with it. Aside from that, I've been in here all morning running all manner of tests - physical, biological, and chemical... and I'm not even sure that I ran the majority of them correctly! I'm no good with this shit; Ieesha was the _real_ scientist here, not me, and if it weren't for all her notes on how to use all this stuff I'd be hosed! I'll take building good solid tech in the Cybernetics Facility and Machine Shop over this bio-science shit any day...' Scowling darkly with that thought in mind, I swiftly exited the Laboratory, and then made my way down and out of the Dragon Weyr.

Once outside the great Nexus, I stopped for a moment to take a deep, deep, cleansing breath of the fresh Pandoran air and look around. As I did so I couldn't help but smile at what I saw. Not all Na'vi lived within the great _kelutrels_, or 'Home Trees' of Pandora. Such was the case with my Clan; although a few stayed with me in the Dragon Weyr, the majority of family groups of Tawkami lived in a village of _thípis_ - absolutely enormous conical tents crafted from all manners of wood, bone, and animal hide - arranged tastefully about the Dragon Weyr. 'It seems a bit cliché - these aliens that live akin to the native American Indians of Earth living in these of all things - but they're damn useful... and cozy, too!' I thought. The _thípis_ were indeed warm and cozy; I knew this as I had slept in the one belonging to Txe'lan's family at their behest - they had practically demanded that I stay with them for a time - during the period in which I was still grieving over the loss of _Sa'nok_.

I had politely refused of course - I hadn't wanted to impose upon them at all - but my refusal had been all for naught; Txe'lan's Mother, Sunu, had bodily picked me up, brought me into her family's _thípi_, and had then placed me down next to Txe'lan in her _Nivi_! My sleep that particular night - with Txe'lan spooning gently against me - had been one of the best I'd ever had in my life. In addition to being warm and cozy dwellings, the _thípis_ employed by Clan Tawkami were downright useful. They not only served as great homes, but they could also be used as storage houses for certain foods, and were portable; with frightening speed they could be disassembled and packed away on the backs of _Fa'li_ when the Clan decided to move and could be reconstructed quickly when the Clan settled in a new area; a trait particularly useful when following Pandoran game migrations, especially the _talioang_ and _yerik_.

Between and around the _thípis_, Na'vi children laughed and played hunting games, sang simple songs, or chased each other with toy banshees as from the entrances of said _thípis_, their parents looked on, or joked, laughed and gossiped with each other. The sight of all this _life_ around me eased my frustrations at the mystery I faced, and my steps lightened. Several of the great tents were occupied, with smoke rising from their tops, the Na'vi within no doubt cooking steaks cut from the haunches of the many _yerik_ Oo'ano and his group had hunted for the Clan. A few of the _thípis_ weren't occupied, however; a content sigh escaped me as I strode past Lompor's tent and saw that his family was outside it.

He was carefully cleaning his great psi-steel spear whilst his mate, Maena, weaved a basket as she watched over her young children whom were playing gently with some Viperwolf pups. As Lompor caught sight of me, he stopped his work to give me a wave. _"Kaltxi, Olo'eyktan!"_ he said. _"Where are you going this fine day?"_ Having no real destination in mind, I shrugged before answering, _"Eh, nowhere in particular; I'm just taking a walk. I might head over to the Wolvery, actually._" Lompor nodded, and then he resumed his work. The building known simply as the Wolvery was a huge, open, and airy place, filled with dens occupied by healing and orphaned Viperwolves of all ages. As I entered the place - "Oof!" - I was knocked flat to the grass that served as the building's floor by several Viperwolf pups, much to the amusement of the Na'vi whom helped care for the place and the animals within!

After much licking and pawing from the Viperwolf pups, and much laughter from the Na'vi caretakers, said Na'vi - a mated pair whose names were Tx'ontaw and Shaya - finally rescued me, hauling me to my feet. _"Kaltxi Olo'eyktan!"_ they said respectfully, once I was standing. _"Ngaru lu fpom srak?"_ Looking up at them both, I grinned before answering, _"I am well. The pups haven't chewed me up yet..."_ At this, both Na'vi laughed heartily. When, at last, I emerged from that place - after spending nearly four hours there, playing with the many pups and helping Tx'ontaw and Shaya tend to and care for the juvenile and adult Viperwolves - it was with a clear mind and rejuvenated spirit.

Feeling energized and ready to face whatever challenges lay ahead, I swiftly located Oo'ano and asked him to take me to where he'd seen the body of the mutilated _Palulukan_. Somewhat reluctantly, he agreed to do so. _"As your Palulukan Sa'nok is with Eywa, ma Olo'eyktan, we shall travel by Pa'li" _he said as we and his group of senior hunters headed over to the _Pa'li_ stable. After their medical treatment had been completed several _Fa'li - _whose injuries had once ranged from cracked hooves to amputated legs - had chosen to stay with us and provide transport to any Na'vi who needed to be somewhere in a hurry. These mighty Direhorses, one of whom was my own Beauty, now resided within the great barnlike structure known as the _Pa'li_ stable where, like the Viperwolves in the Wolvery, they were extremely well cared for.

Currently, all the _Fa'li_ were all outside, grazing on the sweet nectar flowers in the field aside the stable; thus, as we arrived, we heard them before we saw them! As they caught sight of Oo'ano, his group and I they raced over to meet us all, the sound of their great feet like thunder as they pummeled the ground. When they reached us the great animals congregated around us, the majority bumping and nudging Oo'ano and his men affectionately in greeting. One _Pa'li_ however, did not, and this was Beauty, the formerly blind _Pa'li_ whose sight I had restored with Bio-System Cybernetics oh so long ago. Instead of nuzzling me exuberantly like the others - as Oo'ano and his men looked on in amazement - Beauty _lay down_ on her front such that she could be at eye level with me.

Then, and only then did she deign to nuzzle me, the soft brushing of her alien muzzle to my cheek amazingly gentle, and definitely affectionate! "Hey, beautiful," I murmured, "how've you been, eh? Have the others been treating you right?" Beauty blinked her four Bio-System eyes - which were indistinguishable from those of a real _Pa'li_ but for the conductive circuitry pathways that could _just_ be seen within the irises if one were to look closely - and then, to my surprise she nodded slowly before kiss-licking my face with her long, giraffe-like tongue! "Ugh," I replied, gently wiping the thick saliva from my face, "... I love you, too, girl!" That said, I returned her affectionate gesture, placing a soft kiss upon the bridge of her snout! With the 'meet-and-greet' done, Oo'ano and his men carefully checked over leather and psi-steel tack for damage and then gently harnessed those _Pa'li_ they would need to make the journey.

Oo'ano offered to let me ride with him for the duration - an offer that I would have gladly accepted - but, to my surprise, 'my' _Pa'li_, Beauty, protested! Crying out in anger, she forcefully nudged Oo'ano's stallion aside and then lay down before me, gesturing with her head insistently to her back! _"Ha-ha,"_ Oo'ano laughed, once he'd managed to get his animal settled again, _"it looks like you won't be riding with me after all, Olo'eyktan; your 'Beauty' wants to carry you herself!"_ Eyes wide, I turned to look at Beauty, whom was once again lying down in front of me, vocalizing softly as she gestured to her back. "But I... I've never ridden you before; I might fall off and break my neck, girl!" The Direhorse snorted - as if to say, "yeah, right" - and Oo'ano chuckled before managing to respond, _"Do not worry, ma tsmukan, we will watch over you."_

And so, despite my protests, that was that. I'm not sure how he did it, or even where he got it from, but somehow, Oo'ano managed to acquire a _Pa'li_ saddle sized for a Na'vi child that - with help from the others - he swiftly affixed to Beauty's back. He then helped me mount her, before the elephant-sized _Pa'li_ stood up, and up, and up... Whilst the ground fell away from beneath me as Beauty rose to her six feet, suddenly, I felt a feeling of the deepest _calm_ sweep over me; something I hadn't felt since I'd first properly ridden _Sa'nok._ 'Damn... I've got to learn to properly ride an animal again' I thought as I gently took Beauty's two neural whips in hand to use as reins, 'because it sure beats walking...' I was pulled from my thoughts, however, as Oo'ano - now seated astride his own _Pa'li_ - turned to face me. _"By your word, Olo'eyktan!"_ he said crisply.

Nodding to him, I replied, _"Take us out!"_ He needed no further prompting. _"Kämakto!"_ He shouted to his men. Then - with Oo'ano leading and his men arranged about Beauty and I for protection - we left the comfort of the Homestead and rode out into the wilderness of Pandora. The journey to where the mutilated body of the _Palulukan_ rested took several hours, because we travelled slowly, partially due to the reluctance of Oo'ano and his men to return to a 'cursed' place, and partially for my benefit such that I could become used to riding Beauty. We _smelt_ the desiccated corpse before we saw it; a fetid stench of rotting meat overlaid with the smell of putrid decay!

When they, too, smelt it, the _Fa'li_ _balked_ and refused to travel any further, no matter how much Oo'ano and his men attempted to gently coax them to do so through their bonds of _Tsaheylu_ with the great animals. Even my own Beauty refused to move; she simply lay down and gestured for me to dismount. We would all have to travel on foot. Once we'd all dismounted, the _Fa'li_ moved away to wait for us, leaving us on our own. That in itself wasn't a bad thing at all; we would find them again when we were done, and I was with Oo'ano and his men, so we would all be relatively fine. No... The bad thing was the _smell._ 'By the Grace of Adun and _Eywa_,' I thought in horror as I fought the instinct of my body to _heave_, 'it's... it's...'

The Nanocyte Filter would not help me, at all; it was designed simply to filter out the dangerous components of Pandora's atmosphere so that I could respire safely within it. Therefore, in a desperate attempt to escape the utterly rancid smell, I swiftly broke out my Field Medical Kit and took from it a portable Gas Mask. After expanding it to full size by touching a glyph-inscribed button on its outer surface, I swiftly held my breath, donned the mask, and then exhaled hard to purge any contaminants from its interior. After that, I checked the edges of the mask for good contact with my skin, to detect potential leaks... and then, I heaved a sigh of relief, as the filter within the mask filtered out _everything_ harmful within the air, including the god-awful smell!

As I finished securing and checking my mask, to my surprise, I noticed Oo'ano and his men doing the same with their own, though their 'masks' were far more primitive than mine; simple plant-fiber bags filled with wood charcoal, which they secured tightly to their heads via _talioang_ leather straps. 'Hmmm... It seems a bit unusual that a group of hunters would be carrying around primitive Gas Masks,' I thought to myself, 'but then again, when you're on a long hunt for _talioang_ or _yerik_, or _whatever_, you never know what you might encounter. It's always good to be prepared...' I'm not going into details; I prefer to spare you all that of exactly _how_ the great _Palulukan_ had been dismembered. The sight of that poor animal... it was simply too horrible for mere words to describe.

Suffice it to say that the scene was _worse_ than Oo'ano had described, far, _far_ worse. Wanting to _leave_ this gruesome place, Oo'ano and I worked swiftly to record and document everything we could about this supposed crime scene. Whilst his group guarded us from without, the Master Hunter - although he found it somewhat distasteful - took samples of everything from the corpse under my instruction. With tools from my Medical Kit, he took samples of tissue, saliva, blood, tooth enamel scrapings - the works - and stored each sample within a small sterile container. _"I know that you find what I ask you to do distasteful, ma tsmukan,"_ I said to him soothingly, as I took multiple images of the damage done to the poor _Palulukan_ with the Image Record function of my Medical Bio-Scanner.

_"But I ask you to do this for good reason. We can study the images and samples in the Lab at home and perhaps the information gained from them will help us find out more about what happened here."_ As he continued his unpleasant task, Oo'ano nodded slowly, his resolve unwavering. _"I understand, now, why you have asked this of me, ma Olo'eyktan,"_ he replied as he stored yet another sample away in a tiny container, _"and I agree with you; Txra'kon We'er's power is indeed great and it will surely be able to help. When we are done here, however, we will __not__ leave the vessel of our brother's spirit here to rot like this; we __must__ return his body to Eywa to ensure his spirit is calm when he returns to her side."_

This, then, was what we did; once we'd finished collecting as many samples and images as we were able, Oo'ano gave a call to his men, and then together, we prepared and - dare I say it - _mummified_ the body of the _Palulukan_ for a proper burial. Even with his men helping, the procedure was long and grueling but in the end it was worth it, as several _atokirina_ settled upon the prepared corpse and _Eywa's_ vines rose to embrace it. When this happened, just for a moment - in my mind's eye - I thought I saw the much relieved spirit of the _Palulukan_ as it _nodded_ to me in respect and thanks, before turning to run towards a great, all-encompassing tree... Then, I shook my head and blinked. At this Oo'ano turned to regard me curiously. _"Ma Olo'eyktan, are you well?"_ he enquired. _"Y-... Yes, I'm fine, ma tsmukan,"_ I answered, _"just tired. Let's go home."_


	11. Chapter 11

Disclaimer: _Blah, Blah, Blah. I don't own Avatar; James Cameron does. All the Avatar stuff belongs to him. However, my Na'vi character, myself, the Dragon Weyr and its technologies, and the Pandoran animals of my menagerie are all mine. The Protoss - apart from my characters - all belong to Blizzard Entertainment._

Pandora's Templar

A Work-In-Progress Story by Coranth Dehanae

Chapter 11

(Continued from Chapter 10...)

With the samples retrieved, and the mutilated body of the _Palulukan_ restored and returned - along with his spirit - to _Eywa,_ I, Oo'ano, and his senior hunters all set off to retrieve our _Fa'li_ and head for home. Thankfully, it didn't take us long to find them and as I mounted Beauty, I sighed with relief! 'By Adun and _Eywa's_ Glory; am I ever glad to be leaving that grisly place!' I thought. 'I hope I'll have time to start examining those samples when we get home...' Unfortunately, by the time we returned to the safety of the Dragon Weyr and returned the _Fa'li_ to the Homestead's Stables, it was late in the day and the shadows had grown long. 'Meh... no work in the Lab for me tonight; I was in there all morning, anyway...' I thought, opening my mouth wide in a jaw-cracking yawn.

_Agreement_ from the Dragon Weyr filled my thoughts as we and the rest of Clan Tawkami all trooped into the _Weyrheart_ for our evening meal. For said meal, once again, the Weyr thoughtfully brought into being the _Sumin jilt'luy_, but _this_ time the food served upon them was truly _real_: fresh steaks cut from the haunches of the _yerik_ hunted today by Oo'ano and his seniors, along with freshly prepared _Nikt'chey_ and other delights. Whilst the Clan ate these, I contented myself with a leaf plate filled with a human-palatable meal of corned beef covered with parsley sauce served with baked potatoes and a side of cooked carrots and peas. 'Just like Mother used to make...' I thought as I tucked in.

Unfortunately, I could not share this meal of human foodstuffs with the rest of my Clan. This wasn't due to a _refusal_ to share, but rather because, just as I couldn't process some Na'vi foodstuffs, the Na'vi couldn't eat many human palatable foods without becoming grievously ill. Therefore, to compensate for this, I had the Dragon Weyr thoughtfully prepare an extra _Sumin jilt'luy_ stuffed with Pandoran foods that I had the Clan's children pass about. To my sheer delight, however - as I picked up my knife and fork to begin eating - my Na'vi friend Txe'lan added to my plate of human food a _Nikt'chey_ filled with Pandoran food that I _could_ eat; _teylu_ grubs that were the equivalent of jumbo shrimp and certain fruits. "_Irayo,_" I murmured softly to her. _"Thank you so much!"_

Txe'lan smiled and nodded, and then - just before she took a bite of her own _teylu_, she replied, _**"You are welcome, Txa'vit." **_After the conclusion of evening meal, we all headed to the Psiodeck where we sat about an _Mreki u'lito_ somewhere deep in the Sahara Desert and I entertained the Clan with a story from Egyptian Myth. "This," I began "is the story of Re. In the beginning, before there was any land of Egypt, all was darkness, and there was nothing but a great waste of water called Nun. The power of Nun was such that there arose out of the darkness a great shining egg, and this was Re. Now Re was all-powerful, and he could take many forms. His power and the secret of it lay in his hidden name; but if he spoke other names, that which he named came into being.

'I am Khepera at the dawn and Re at noon and Atum in the evening,' he said. And the sun rose and passed across the sky and set for the first time. Then he named Shu, and the first winds blew; he named Tefnut the spitter, and the first rain fell. Next he named Geb, and the earth came into being; he named the goddess Nut, and she was the sky arched over the earth with her feet on one horizon and her hands on the other; he named Hapi, and the great River Nile flowed through Egypt and made it fruitful. After this Re named all things that are upon the earth, and they grew. Last of all he named mankind, and there were men and women in the land of Egypt. Then Re took on the shape of a man and became the first Pharaoh, ruling over the whole country for thousands and thousands of years, and giving such harvests that forever afterwards the Egyptians spoke of the good things 'which happened in the time of Re.'

But, being in the form of a man, Re grew old. In time men no longer feared him or obeyed his laws. They laughed at him, saying: 'Look at Re! His bones are like silver, his flesh like gold, his hair is the colour of lapis lazuli!' Re was angry when he heard this, and he was angrier still at the evil deeds which men were doing in disobedience to his laws. So he called together the gods whom he had made - Shu and Tefnut and Geb and Nut - and he also summoned Nun. Soon the gods gathered about Re in his Secret Place, and the goddesses also. But mankind knew nothing of what was happening, and continued to jeer at Re and to break his commandments. Then Re spoke to Nun before the assembled gods: 'Eldest of the gods, you who made me; and you gods whom I have made: look upon mankind who came into being at a glance of my Eye.

See how men plot against me; hear what they say of me; tell me what I should do to them. For I will not destroy mankind until I have heard what you advise.' Then Nun said: 'My son Re, the god greater than he who made him and mightier than those whom he has created, turn your mighty Eye upon them and send destruction upon them in the form of your daughter, the goddess Sekhmet.' Re answered: 'Even now fear is falling upon them and they are fleeing into the desert and hiding themselves in the mountains in terror at the sound of my voice.' 'Send against them the glance of your Eye in the form Sekhmet!' cried all the other gods and goddesses, bowing before Re until their foreheads touched the ground. So at the terrible glance from the Eye of Re his daughter came into being, the fiercest of all goddesses.

Like a lion she rushed upon her prey, and her chief delight was in slaughter, and her pleasure was in blood. At the bidding of Re she came into Upper and Lower Egypt to slay those who had scorned and disobeyed him: she killed them among the mountains which lie on either side of the Nile, and down beside the river, and in the burning deserts. All whom she saw she slew, rejoicing in slaughter and the taste of blood. Presently Re looked out over the land and saw what Sekhmet had done. Then he called to her, saying: 'Come, my daughter, and tell me how you have obeyed my commands.' Sekhmet answered with the terrible voice of a lioness as she tears her prey: 'By the life which you have given me, I have indeed done vengeance on mankind, and my heart rejoices.'

Now for many nights the Nile ran red with blood, and Sekhmet's feet were red as she went hither and thither through all the land of Egypt slaying and slaying. Presently Re looked out over the earth once more, and now his heart was stirred with pity for men, even though they had rebelled against him. But none could stop the cruel goddess Sekhmet, not even Re himself: she must cease from slaying of her own accord - and Re saw that this could only come about through cunning. So he gave his command: 'Bring before me swift messengers who will run upon the earth as silently as shadows and with the speed of the storm winds.' When these were brought he said to them: 'Go as fast as you can up the Nile to where it flows fiercely over the rocks and among the islands of the First Cataract; go to the isle that is called Elephantine and bring from it a great store of the red ochre which is to be found there.'

The messengers sped on their way and returned with the blood-red ochre to Heliopolis, the city of Re where stand the stone obelisks with points of gold that are like fingers pointing to the sun. It was night when they came to the city, but all day the women of Heliopolis had been brewing beer as Re bade them. Re came to where the beer stood waiting in seven thousand jars, and the gods came with him to see how by his wisdom he would save mankind. 'Mingle the red ochre of Elephantine with the barley-beer,' said Re, and it was done, so that the beer gleamed red in the moonlight like the blood of men. 'Now take it to the place where Sekhmet proposes to slay men when the sun rises,' said Re.

And while it was still night the seven thousand jars of beer were taken and poured out over the fields so that the ground was covered to the depth of nine inches - three times the measure of the palm of a man's hand-with the strong beer, whose other name is 'sleep-maker.' When day came Sekhmet the terrible came also, licking her lips at the thought of the men whom she would slay. She found the place flooded and no living creature in sight; but she saw the beer which was the colour of blood, and she thought it was blood indeed - the blood of those whom she had slain. Then she laughed with joy, and her laughter was like the roar of a lioness hungry for the kill. Thinking that it was indeed blood, she stooped and drank.

Again and yet again she drank, laughing with delight; and the strength of the beer mounted to her brain, so that she could no longer slay. At last she came reeling back to where Re was waiting; that day she had not killed even a single man. Then Re said: 'You come in peace, sweet one.' And her name was changed to Hathor, and her nature was changed also to the sweetness of love and the strength of desire. And henceforth Hathor laid low men and women only with the great power of love. But for ever after her priestesses drank in her honor of the beer of Heliopolis coloured with the red ochre of Elephantine when they celebrated her festival each New Year. So mankind was saved, and Re continued to rule old though he was.

But the time was drawing near when he must leave the earth to reign forever in the heavens, letting the younger gods rule in his place. For dwelling in the form of a man, of a Pharaoh of Egypt, Re was losing his wisdom; yet he continued to reign, and no one could take his power from him, since that power dwelt in his secret name which none knew but himself. If only anyone could discover his Name of Power, Re would reign no longer on earth; but only by magic arts was this possible. Geb and Nut had children: these were the younger gods whose day had come to rule, and their names were Osiris and Isis, Nephthys and Seth. Of these Isis was the wisest: she was cleverer than a million men, her knowledge was greater than that of a million of the noble dead.

She knew all things in heaven and earth, except only for the Secret Name of Re, and that she now set herself to learn by guile. Now Re was growing older every day. As he passed across the land of Egypt his head shook from side to side with age, his jaw trembled, and he dribbled at the mouth as do the very old among men. As his spittle fell upon the ground it made mud, and this Isis took in her hands and kneaded together as if it had been dough. Then she formed it into the shape of a serpent, making the first cobra - the uraeus, which ever after was the symbol of royalty worn by Pharaoh and his queen. Isis placed the first cobra in the dust of the road by which Re passed each day as he went through his two kingdoms of Upper and Lower Egypt. As Re passed by the cobra bit him and then vanished into the grass.

But the venom of its bite coursed through his veins, and for a while Re was speechless, save for one great cry of pain which rang across the earth from the eastern to the western horizon. The gods who followed him crowded round, asking: 'What is it? What ails you?' But he could find no words; his lips trembled and he shuddered in all his limbs, while the poison spread over his body as the Nile spreads over Egypt at the inundation. When at last he could speak, Re said: 'Help me, you whom I have made. Something has hurt me, and I do not know what it is. I created all things, yet this thing I did not make. It is a pain such as I have never known before, and no other pain is equal to it. Yet who can hurt me? For none knows my Secret Name which is hidden in my heart, giving me all power and guarding me against the magic of both wizard and witch.

Nevertheless as I passed through the world which I have created, through the two lands that are my special care, something stung me. It is like fire, yet is not fire; it is like water and not water. I burn and I shiver, while all my limbs tremble. So call before me all the gods who have skill in healing and knowledge of magic, and wisdom that reaches to the heavens.' Then all the gods came to Re, weeping and lamenting at the terrible thing which had befallen him. With them came Isis, the healer, the queen of magic, who breathes the breath of life and knows words to revive those who are dying. And she said: 'What is it, divine father? Has a snake bitten you? Has a creature of your own creating lifted up its head against you? I will drive it out by the magic that is mine, and make it tremble and fall down before your glory.'

'I went by the usual way through my two lands of Egypt,' answered Re, 'for I wished to look upon all that I had made. And as I went I was bitten by a snake which I did not see - a snake that I had not created. Now I burn as if with fire and shiver as if my veins were filled with water, and the sweat runs down my face as it runs down the faces of men on the hottest days of summer.' 'Tell me your Secret Name.' said Isis in a sweet, soothing voice. 'Tell it me, divine father; for only by speaking your name in my spells can I cure you.' Then Re spoke the many names that were his: 'I am Maker of Heaven and Earth.' he said. 'I am Builder of the Mountains. I am Source of the Waters throughout all the world. I am Light and Darkness. I am Creator of the Great River of Egypt. I am the Kindler of the Fire that burns in the sky; yes, I am Khepera at the dawn and Re at noon and Atum in the evening.'

But Isis said never a word, and the poison had its way in the veins of Re. For she knew that he had told her only the names which all men knew, and that his Secret Name, the Name of Power, still lay hidden in his heart. At last she said: 'You know well that the name which I need to learn is not among those which you have spoken. Come, tell me the Secret Name; for if you do the poison will come forth and you will have an end of pain.' The poison burned with a great burning, more powerful than any flame of fire, and Re cried out at last: 'Let the Name of Power pass from my heart into the heart of Isis! But before it does, swear to me that you will tell it to no other save only the son whom you will have, whose name shall be Horus. And bind him first with such an oath that the name will remain with him and be passed on to no other gods or men.'

Isis the great magician swore the oath, and the knowledge of the Name of Power passed from the heart of Re into hers. Then she said: 'By the name which I know, let the poison go from Re forever!' So it passed from him and he had peace. But he reigned upon earth no longer. Instead he took his place in the high heavens, traveling each day across the sky in the likeness of the sun itself, and by night crossing the underworld of Amenti in the Boat of Re and passing through the twelve divisions of Duat where many dangers lurk. Yet Re passes safely, and with him he takes those souls of the dead who know all the charms and prayers and words that must be said. And so that a man might not go unprepared for his voyage in the Boat of Re, the Egyptians painted all the scenes of that journey on the walls of the tombs of the Pharaohs, with all the knowledge that was written in The Book of the Dead, of which a copy was buried in the grave of lesser men so that they too might read and come safely to the land beyond the west where the dead dwell."

At the conclusion of the story, the entire Clan - whom had never heard such a tale before - actually _applauded_ me, and I lowered my head, feeling somewhat embarrassed. With that story done, it was the Clan's turn to weave a tale; said tale was told by Tsa'hik San'eya and it was of the first Toruk Makto, whom originally united all of the Na'vi Clans during the First Time of Great Sorrow. At the conclusion of that story, I told another - "The White Man and the Snake" from African Myth - and then my Clan and I entertained each other with various styles of music; I introduced them to the eclectic sound of 'Deep Forest' and they in turn sang songs of Hunting, and of the mighty Toruk whom only the greatest of warriors could ride.

When the time for storytelling ended, according to the Dragon Weyr's Megachronometer, it was about ten 'o clock at night. Of course, there _was_ no night on Pandora - just a kind of twilight - but the Dragon Weyr could simulate night, and it did so within the Sleeping Alcove. For those people of my Clan whom lived with me in the Dragon Weyr, however - when they made to sleep in their _Eywa k'sey nivi bri'sta_ - the Dragon Weyr kept the level of lighting equivalent to Pandora's twilight. Yawning softly, I turned to make my way out of the Psiodeck - intending to use the shower in the Bathroom before heading to bed - but before I left, I asked if any of my Clan wanted to make use of the facilities before me. My offer, however, was politely declined.

With that, we all left the Psiodeck, and then - as the majority of Clan Tawkami left the Dragon Weyr for their _thípis_ - I headed to the _Weyrheart's_ bathroom for my shower. I can't recall how long I remained there, in the great, dragon-sized shower, but it surely couldn't have been for more than half an hour. All I can remember - and vaguely at that - is the feel of the hot-water jets as their wonderful heat and pressure warmed and massaged my muscles to the consistency of _mush_, followed by the warmth of the dryers as they evaporated the water from my body when my shower was done. With the shower concluded, I stepped blearily from the large shower stall, a yawn escaping me as I put on a set of freshly washed pajamas. Then I made my way out of the Bathroom and into the Sleeping Alcove, where I settled myself into bed. Sleep, however, did not come easily for me that night...

Because of the Dreams... Nightmarish visions of blood and death - but for _whom_ I could not tell - and vague, distorted images of twisted, misshapen, white-skinned Na'vi, their eerie red-eyed gazes utterly soulless and inhuman, and their malformed mouths filled with far, _far_ too many teeth... The dreams, thankfully, ended the next morning when - to my growing confusion and horror - I awakened to discover that, not only was I _naked_ but Txe'lan was also _with me in my bed_, 'spooning' gently with me as she slept! "Oh, crap-crap-crap-crap-crap... if we did what I hope we _didn't_ do, her parents are going to _kill_ me..." I murmured quietly. Just then, Txe'lan - whom had far more sensitive hearing than I - awakened and pulled me a little tighter against her, such that I felt her breasts pressing into my back...

This, unfortunately, caused an unwanted and _definitely_ unwelcome reaction; I felt a certain part of my anatomy begin to rise. 'Shit!' I thought, tensing. 'No matter how much you'd like to, _don't_ think about doing _that_ with her! Don't think about it; don't think about it; don't think about it. Think unsexy thoughts, think unsexy thoughts, think unsexy thoughts... Ieesha's Death, the Betrayals; those Adun and _Eywa_-damned dreams!' _That_ did it; immediately I felt said part of my anatomy _shrivel_ and not a moment too soon, for just then, Txe'lan, upon sensing the state I was in quietly asked. _**"Txa'vit? What's the matter? Why are you so tense?"**_ With a resigned sigh, I rolled over within her embrace to face her and then quietly explained to her about _tawtute_ sexual taboos, including getting caught with your girl by your parents, and sex before marriage.

When I finished my explanation, I awaited her reaction. It wasn't what I had been expecting: she snorted, giggled, and then burst into raucous laughter! _**"Oh, Txa'vit, you - ha-ha-ha - you think that - that we - he-he-he..."**_ she choked out as her body heaved. When she was able to get herself under control, she said, _**"Txa'vit, we did not mate last night, at all! If you wished to become my Mate, you would need to go through the trials - the Uniltaron and Iknimaya - and become one of the People. Then you would need to ask my parents for permission - I am sure that they would not object - and **then_ _**we would need to journey to Utral Aymokriyä so that Eywa might witness and bless our union!"**_

By the time Txe'lan finished speaking, I was no longer listening; my mind had _stalled_ at 'I am sure that they would not object'! "Whoa, Whoa, Whoa!" I said raising a hand to interject. When she went silent, I continued. "Txe'lan... you're saying that your parents wouldn't object... To me... Becoming your Mate. How... how can you say that? I... I'm not even the same species as you; you are Na'vi and I am _Tawtute_ - Human!" At this, Txe'lan simply shrugged, and gave me a look filled with slight condescension. Then, finally, she asked, _**"Does it matter, Txa'vit?"**_ At this, I grew indignant. "Does it mat-of _course_ it matters!" I snapped, furiously. "One, I am _not_ one of the People; two, I do not believe in _Eywa_ - though I'm starting to - and three... I _cannot_ give you _children_! _How_ can you say that-that your parents 'wouldn't object' to me becoming your Mate?"

A snarl gracing her features, Txe'lan rolled over in the bed, bringing herself atop me and _pinning_ me to the mattress such that I had no leverage to move! _**"I can say that because **__I know them!"_ she yelled at me. Then after closing her eyes for a moment, and inhaling deeply to calm herself, she continued, _**"Look at what you have done for your Clan - my People - Txa'vit! You have become our **__Olo'eyktan_**_, you have brought us to your land, and you have allowed us to set our homes here. You have even allowed some of us to __live with you __in your home - the great fngap kelku Txra'kon We'er - and learn so much... The birth of children is no longer fraught with danger to Mother and Child because our healers not only watch over expecting Mothers; you and the fngap toktor of Txra'kon We'er look after them as well and __assist__ the healers when complications arise with difficult births. _**

_**Our healers, warriors and hunters have refined their ways, methods, and their tools beyond those of any other Clan of the People... and when we **__cannot _**_hunt due to illness or migration of yerik and talioang, __Txra'kon We'er __provides for us when Eywa cannot. Our Children no longer need to fear wild Nantang, Palulukan, and other threats - not when each child has at their side a companion animal of their own. As our Olo'eyktan, you are a great leader; far better than Ema'zu ever was! You settle disputes within the Clan - and sometimes even for other Clans - without violence, only using force when there is no other option... and even when you __do __use force it is only enough to teach the offending party a sound lesson in humility! _**

_**With your words - your stories and songs - and the great Archives of Txra'kon We'er, you have helped us **__so much_**_, so yes, my parents would not object to you becoming my Mate!" _**When she finished speaking, my beloved friend Txe'lan ceased pinning me to the mattress and instead laid herself to rest atop me. Then, she burst into tears. At that moment I felt so bad. I wished I was dead; I wished that the great stone block that had killed Ieesha had hit _me_ instead! "Oh, Txe'lan," I murmured, gathering her into my arms, "_ngaytxoa, ngaytxoa_... I am so, so sorry." Txe'lan did not reply to my question at first; instead, she continued to cry, her tears dampening the skin of my chest. As she did so, I murmured soothing nothings to her and softly caressed her back.

When she was able to stop crying, she raised her head to look into my eyes and replied, _**"I know you are sorry, Txa'vit. I am sorry, too... but I meant every word I said. My parents would not object to you becoming my Mate; in fact, they would be honored." **_Nodding to her, I gently rolled us both over onto our sides. "If we didn't mate last night, then what _did_ happen?" I asked. Txe'lan immediately answered, _**"Txra'kon We'er woke me. It told me that your sleep was troubled, asked me to help, and I agreed. When... when it **__moved _**_me from my Nivi to the Sleeping Alcove and I saw you... You were crying in your sleep, thrashing about so much... I... I feared you might become tangled by your night clothes and injure yourself so I asked Txra'kon We'er to take them from you and put them away. _**

_**Then I climbed into bed with you, but even as I tried to soothe your fears you still thrashed and cried. You... you awoke, many times, screaming in the night, your words garbled and unclear - but always something about 'The Unseeing.' **_At this, I frowned deeply. 'Just what the hell _did_ I see in my dreams last night? What could have caused those nightmares?' I wondered, privately. 'Surely it wasn't the food I ate last night?' Aloud, I prompted, "The 'Unseeing?'" Txe'lan nodded. _**"Yes,"**_ she responded, _**"the 'unseeing' or 'they who do not see.' That is what you called... whatever it was you saw! You said... you said that they were coming. I do not know what these 'unseeing' are, but you should speak with Tsa'hik San'eya about these dreams. They might be nothing, but they might be a warning from Eywa of danger to the Clan. San'eya will be able to help you interpret them, and advise you on what to do about them better than I. What you suffered last night was **__horrible__, **Txa'vit! Please, speak with her as soon as you can."**_


	12. Chapter 12

Disclaimer: _Blah, Blah, Blah. I don't own Avatar; James Cameron does. All the Avatar stuff belongs to him. However, my Na'vi character, myself, the Dragon Weyr and its technologies, and the Pandoran animals of my menagerie are all mine. The Protoss - apart from my characters - all belong to Blizzard Entertainment._

Pandora's Templar

A Work-In-Progress Story by Coranth Dehanae

Chapter 12

(Continued from Chapter 11...)

Nodding to her, I replied, "I will." Since there were now far too many animals at the Homestead to feed by myself, after Txe'lan and I had dressed for the day and eaten heart breakfasts, she and I fed the 'core group' of the Menagerie - Falkor, Atreyu, the Pack, Miracle, Beauty, Leaf and Cloud - and then, whilst Txe'lan tended to the Dragon Weyr and performed routine maintenance here and there, I sought out the Second _Tsa'hik_ of my Clan, San'eya. She was, fortunately, easy to find; I caught up with her as she was returning to the Homestead from the forest, after having completed her morning communion with _Eywa_. _"Tsa'hik San'eya!"_ I called in Na'vi. At my call, she hurried over to me and as she did so, I noticed that she looked troubled.

When she reached me, San'eya stopped and began to walk beside me as I turned to head back to the Dragon Weyr. _"Srane, ma Olo'eyktan?"_ she asked. Feeling somewhat apprehensive, I swallowed to moisten my suddenly dry throat, and then I began to speak, _"Ma tsmuken, I must speak with you regarding a... a spiritual matter" _I began. _"I believe that Eywa may have contacted me last night as I slept, perhaps to warn me of something, for I did not sleep well ..." "...You were troubled with night terrors,"_ she finished. At this, I stopped, and turned my head about to look at her. _"They have afflicted you as well, Tsa'hik?" _I asked, both surprised and concerned by this turn of events.

My Clan's _Tsa'hik_ of _Eywa_ nodded, a shiver coursing through her body. Inhaling, she opened her mouth to continue speaking, but then - as she saw various other members of my Clan exiting their _thípis_ to begin the day - with a shake of her head, she said, _"We shall speak no more of this until we are inside Txra'kon We'er."_ That was that; San'eya and I returned swiftly to the Dragon Weyr and then - once we were back within the safety of the Weyrheart - I sat down with her upon the Great Fleece Pile and told her everything. I told her of the mutilated Palulukan discovered by Master Hunter Oo'ano, of the 'corrupted' Na'vi tissue sample now stored within the Lab, and of the monstrous visions I had seen within my dreams.

By the time I finished my explanation, San'eya was looking at me with an expression that I had never before seen upon her face: sheer _terror_. She was visibly _trembling_, the normally-cyan skin of her face sky-pale from lack of blood. "_San'eya_" I asked, resting a hand upon her shoulder in concern, _"ngaru lu fpom srak?"_ At my question, slowly, she shook her head. _"Kehe, Txa'vit, I am not well,"_ she answered, gravely. _"The night terrors you experienced last night - and the visions that Eywa showed me this morn when I communed with her - were a warning. The Clan is in terrible danger, Txa'vit, for a Time of Great Sorrow approaches, but the danger may yet be averted. Please, ma Olo'eyktan, gather the Clan and bring them to swotu unil, for there is a story that I must tell you all."_

I nodded to her, and then with all haste, dropped into a light meditative trance in order to send out a psychic call. My efforts, however, were gently rebuffed for the Dragon Weyr was quicker! Already at a state of _alertness_ due to San'eya's own frightened condition, via its partially psionic and partially technological Communications Transceiver, the Weyr issued a _powerful_ psychic call throughout the Homestead and its surrounding lands to the entirety of Clan Tawkami! As the powerful call - feelings of _danger_ and the compulsion to _come to Txra'kon We'er_ - swept through her, San'eya looked around frantically for a moment, before she turned back to me and asked, _"Txa'vit... What, in Eywa's name, was __that__?"_

Blowing out a gusty sigh, I thought to myself privately, 'Ooh boy... that call was a _bit_ more than was needed. Something tells me we didn't just summon Clan Tawkami...' Aloud I answered, _"__That,__ ma Tsmuken, was Txra'kon We'er calling the Clan."_ As I spoke, from out of the Transport Alcove they came in groups of five, ten, and twenty with their animal companions - the whole of Clan Tawkami - with spear, bow, hammer and axe unsheathed and ready for combat! Once all were present and accounted for, Lompor swiftly approached me and said, _"We felt the Call of Txra'kon We'er, ma Olo'eyktan. What danger comes before us?"_ As he spoke, a feeling of _sheepishness_ from the Dragon Weyr filled my thoughts, and for a moment, I rested my head in my hands. 'Next time, my friend, could you _please_ try not to "cry Nantang"?' I thought.

As the Dragon Weyr's _affirmation_ and _sorrow_ filled my thoughts I raised my head to address the Clan. _"Ma 'Olo, ma 'olo please, put away your weapons; we aren't in danger yet..."_ I said. As hand weapons were sheathed once more, spears and bows returned to backs, and animals soothed and settled, I continued, _"...but we may be soon, for a Time of Great Sorrow comes! Join me, ma 'olo, at Txra'kon We'er's swotu unil; Tsa'hik San'eya has something that she wishes for us all to hear."_ The Clan responded to this with nodding of heads and murmurs of assent and curiosity. Could what the Tsa'hik was going to say have something to do with why Txra'kon We'er had called them? And so it was that we all made our way to the Dragon Weyr's Psiodeck and gathered about a _huge_ _mreki u'lito_ amidst a Forest of Trees of Voices.

Once we and all our animal friends were settled, for a moment there was silence in that pocket universe - save for the sound of the bioluminescent trees swaying in the breeze around us - as San'eya, _Tsa'hik_ of _Eywa_, gathered her thoughts. Then, she inhaled deeply, before she began to tell an eerie and unsettling tale. _"Long, long ago, before the coming of the First Toruk Makto, and even before the People lived as the Clans we know today"_ she began, _"there existed a loose group of the People that were... different."_ At this Lompor raised a hand, and Tsa'hik San'eya turned to regard him steadily. _"Forgive me, Tsa'hik, but... different? In what way were these People different from the Clans of today?"_ he asked. Tsa'hik San'eya continued to regard my student for a moment and then finally, she replied, _"They did not serve Eywa."_

The Clan's reaction to her statement was one of sheer disbelief - murmurs of denial, voices of protest, and gasps of horror spread throughout the assembled people of my Clan. A group of the People who did not serve Eywa? This... this was utterly _inconceivable!_ Although traditions of worship and ceremony often differed among the Clans, _all_ of the People served _Eywa_... didn't they? Soon, I called for silence. _"Fnu, rutxe, frapo. Fnu, rutxe!"_ When the Clan settled, Tsa'hik San'eya continued. _"Yes, ma Olo', this group of the People did not serve Eywa. In fact, they __rejected__ her ways and her guidance, utterly! They were violent and savage; they slaughtered and murdered others of the People at their whim and committed acts of savagery that the People today have no names for!_

_Perhaps it was their nature that did it - or perhaps Eywa herself cursed them for their deeds - but soon, this group of the People __changed__; their bodies became hideously twisted and deformed, their skin became as white as the stars, and their eyes turned as red as blood! Not even Eywa's curse could make them cease their savage ways, however; instead they reveled in their new twisted forms, using them to commit ever more vile acts of terror and bloodshed. These People became known as 'They who could not See.' Thus they remained, and the rivers of kifkey Eywa'evengä ran red with the blood spilt as a result of their terrible deeds. This was the first Time of Sorrow._

_It would have remained such forever, but Eywa - in her infinite wisdom - wove from the Land and then sent into the Sky the mightiest of her Children to fight 'They who could not See': the first Toruk. Then, from among the good People who still lived despite the actions of 'They who could not see', she called upon the mightiest of warriors to ride the great beast. That warrior became the first Toruk Makto! Toruk Makto formed the People into Clans and then together, he and the new Clans of the People united to drive away, 'They who could not See', deep beneath the ground of kifkey Eywa'evengä, where they could never commit violence again, except upon each other."_ At this, the Clan broke out into applause, whooping, hollering, and cheers!

Txe'lan and I turned to look at each other and smile. 'I'm a sucker for happy endings,' I thought, 'but this story isn't over yet...' I was right. Once again I called for silence, and then, when the Clan again settled, _Tsa'hik_ San'eya concluded the story. _"So feared and reviled were They that they were never given names or recorded in any Songs of Today; Eywa chose to let Her Children forget that They ever existed, allowing only a few select Tsa'hiks of the People to remember 'They who could not See', as a warning, if they ever chose to return." _With Tsa'hik Sen'aya's story concluded, the Clan offered her their thanks. Many stood in preparation to leave and return to their duties, but I bade them stay.

Once all were again seated about the _mreki u'lito_, Lompor spoke up. _"You have told us a fine story, Tsa'hik, but why tell us this tale?"_ he asked. _"Surely 'They who cannot see' are a legend..."_ As he made to continue, Tsa'hik San'eya silenced him with a _look_ before she snapped, _"'They who cannot see' are more than a legend, you skxawng; they are very, very real! Olo'eyktan Txa'vit and I have witnessed Signs of Their return!"_ At that, the shit hit the fan; a cacophony of _noise_ exploded throughout the Psiodeck as every member of Clan Tawkami tried to talk over each other, their moods reflected by their animal companions whom added their own distressed voices to the din!

_"Ma 'Olo!"_ I called, trying to restore order. _"Ma 'Olo, rutxe lu mawey!"_ No one, however, could hear my voice above the din, and so - adding a large amount of psionic power unto my voice, I called _**"FRAPO FNU!"**_ When all had calmed down, and had soothed their animal companions Tsa'hik San'eya shot me a relieved look as she said, _"Irayo, Olo'eyktan!"_ Then, she continued, addressing all. _"'They who do not see' always attack Eywa's animal Children first and Txa'vit saw this when he journeyed with Master Hunter Oo'ano to examine - and then return to Eywa - the defiled body of a slain Palulukan! Our Olo'eyktan also has a piece of flesh from one of Them right here in Txra'kon We'er, which he is examining in order to find Their weakness!"_

At this falsehood, I snapped my head around to look at her, startled! 'What?' I thought, incredulous. 'I'm not doing that, at all; I'm simply trying to find out what I can about them due to sheer curiosity!' Before I could voice a protest at her lie, however, she waved me off; a gesture that clearly said, "Play along for now." Therefore, with a heavy sigh, I held my tongue as she continued, _"Finally, both Txa'vit and I have received warnings from Eywa; dreams and visions in which we have Seen them! I believe 'They who cannot see' have returned!" _At Tsa'hik San'eya's last statement, a wave of agitation swept through the Clan. Na'vi men and women talked, gossiped and debated with each other over what was to be done to safeguard the Clan and the Homestead against the potential threat from 'They who could not see.'

Some among the Clan wondered whether the warnings and signs had been misread. Others desired action; that we should actively _search_ for these 'different', savage Na'vi and hunt them down before they could become a threat. Others, still, opted that the Clan should remain vigilant at the Homestead and wait for real confirmation of the threat before deciding what was to be done. A verdict on what to do could not be reached. Finally, one of the Clan's warriors spoke up. _"What then, is to be done, Olo'eyktan?"_ he asked. Having listened to and weighed the opinions of my Clan members carefully, I thought long and hard about his question before answering. _"We know very little at this point, ma Tsmukan"_ I intoned softly.

_"We have only the Signs - the dead Palulukan and Eywa's warnings. We do not know when, or even if, 'they who cannot see' will attack us at all. Therefore, until we __do__ know what will happen, our lives will continue as normal. But... I will ask Txra'kon We'er to use its pxay aynari to watch over our land carefully, and I would ask you all to do the same. Whenever you are out in the forests, hunting, foraging, and gathering, be watchful. Be vigilant. If you see __anything__ strange or unusual - anything at all - you are to report it to me, or Tsa'hiks San'eya and Txe'lan immediately! Do you understand, ma 'Olo?" _The response to my question was immediate; an almost unanimous nodding of heads and various cries of_ "Srane, Olo'eyktan!"_


	13. Chapter 13

Disclaimer: _Blah, Blah, Blah. I don't own Avatar; James Cameron does. All the Avatar stuff belongs to him. However, my Na'vi character, myself, the Dragon Weyr and its technologies, and the Pandoran animals of my menagerie are all mine. The Protoss - apart from my characters - all belong to Blizzard Entertainment._

Pandora's Templar

A Work-In-Progress Story by Coranth Dehanae

Chapter 13

(Continued from Chapter 12...)

At that point, I bade the Clan leave to resume life as normal. For the next several weeks, this was what we did; I resumed my Veterinary missions, Txe'lan and San'eya resumed their _Tsa'hik_ duties, and my Clan took care of themselves and our animal friends at the Homestead. It was, for us, 'business as usual.' As it turned out, however, I was right about something: the Dragon Weyr hadn't just summoned _my_ Clan with its call! Roughly two weeks after said call had been sent out, three of the local Clans arrived at our doorstep: the Ikran Clan of the Eastern Sea, the Pa'li Clan of the Plains, and the Kilvan Clan of the Northern River! Like the Tawkami before them, the three Clans were awed by the sight of the Dragon Weyr, and even more so by the Homestead and its myriad of friendly animals.

Although _embarrassment_ and _sorrow_ from the great construct for its faux pas filled my thoughts, I waved it off; the Dragon Weyr was secretly pleased to have yet more life residing within it and my Clan was thrilled to see their kin. Thus, for the next two weeks, we hosted them. With its army of Nanocytes, the Dragon Weyr swiftly erected temporary nests and stables to house the influx of new _Ikran_ and _Fa'li_, as well as new _Eywa k'sey nivi bri'sta_ for our guests. Txe'lan was 'in her element'; acting as half-tour guide and half-priest, she took the Clans on a tour of the Dragon Weyr and preached to them of its mysteries and of what it could do for those whom chose to live within. Soon many people from all three Clans were clamoring for temporary cybernetic implants that would allow them, too, to make _Tsaheylu_ with the living _fngap kelku_.

Weapons, jewelry and other wares were traded - the warriors and hunters were particularly impressed with the amazing 'modern' variants of their traditional weapons - and the women marveled at the beauty of jewelry fashioned upon the great Forge from Psi-Steel and Khaydarin Crystal. Great hearty feasts were eaten, traditional and modern songs and dances were performed, and tales from all walks of life were told... During those two weeks, everyone had a great time! During the course of the gathering, San'eya, Txe'lan and I arranged a meeting with the _Olo'eyktans_ and _Tsa'hiks_ of the three Clans, whereupon we told them of what we had discovered concerning 'They who could not see.'

Said meeting, fortunately, went well; everyone agreed to be vigilant for anything strange and unusual and to keep each other informed if such things were seen. To facilitate this, I gifted the _Olo'eyktans_ with - and instructed them in the use of - three powerful Psionic Transceivers built into jeweled headbands. These extremely useful devices would allow all three Clan Leaders to instantly communicate via _thought_, not only with each other, but also with Txe'lan and I at the Dragon Weyr. It wasn't all sunshine and roses, however. I became stressed when I managed to examine the samples that Oo'ano had collected from the dead _Palulukan_ and found traces of vile chemicals designed to _soften_ _flesh_, as well as traces of saliva that bore no resemblance to that excreted from the salivary glands of normal Na'vi.

Things also became tense when - whilst out on another hunting expedition for _talioang_ - Oo'ano and his senior hunters discovered an entire pack of _Nantang_, which had been eaten alive and brutally mutilated, in a similar fashion to the _Palulukan_ we had recently dealt with! Even more alarming, however, was that the Pack was found _close to the Homestead_ and - despite his skill - Master Hunter Oo'ano couldn't discern whether the Pack had been actively heading towards the Homestead when they were killed, or if the Pack had been killed further away, before being _deliberately moved closer_. A few days after the Ikran, Pa'li, and Kilvan Clans left to return to their homelands, despite all of the control I possessed as a High Templar - due to my frustration at being unable to learn anything new about 'They who could not see' from the samples I possessed, as well as the lack of sign that they even existed at all - finally I snapped!

"Arrggh!" I screamed, after yet another unsuccessful test, as I swept aside a slew of delicate glassware and listened with satisfaction as it _smashed_ to the floor. "God damn it," I raged, "every time I run these tests disaster falls; image scans are fucked up and test results are just plain _wrong!_ Either San'eya's story is correct, and these Na'vi truly are 'cursed' and corrupted - which would indicate that the results I'm getting are actually _correct - _or I'm just not doing these tests and scans right... but I've followed Ieesha's notes correctly so I'm sure that I _am! Arrrggh!" _As it _shifted_ away the smashed glassware into one of the Laboratory's many Waste Disposal Units - and then swiftly replicated new glassware to replace that which I'd smashed - the Dragon Weyr's own _frustration,_ and _sympathy_, filled my thoughts.

"And why is it" I continued, beginning to pace with agitation, "that we have not seen them? _Why? _We know for sure that they killed that _Palulukan, _and I'm pretty sure they killed that _Nantang _Pack, too... but... _why_ haven't we seen them? Why haven't they appeared, or attacked? And that _Nantang _Pack... why was it found close to the Homestead? Did they move it here? Are they _playing _with us?" Ceasing my pacing, I leaned against a workbench and heaved a frustrated sigh. "Okay" I said, "speculation: either these fuckers live above ground and attack at _night_ - so we can't see them and don't know about it until it's too late - or maybe San'eya's story is true; maybe they... really... do... live under..."

Suddenly, my eyes widened as I was struck with an epiphany! Stopping my activities within the lab, I tore out of there with psionically enhanced speed - the great construct's _alarm_ filling my thoughts - as I raced into the _Weyrheart_ and then seated myself upon the leather sofa in front of the Holo-screen. _"Deploy Sensor Probes, full spread"_ I barked in Khalani. _"Set OP-COM priority to Ground Penetrating Radar/SONAR Suite - and give me visual, STAT!"_ At first, _confusion_ from the Dragon Weyr filled my thoughts, but then that emotion was replaced with sudden _realization/affirmation_ when it experienced an 'AH-HA!' moment as it caught on to what I was thinking. Then, swiftly, it executed my command.

Outside the great Nexus several Clan members paused in their daily activities to watch in startled surprise as multiple bay doors within the base of Txra'kon We'er opened up to let out a horde of _Px'ro'pxs_ - the name which _Olo'eyktan_ _Txa'vit_ called We'er's _pxay tìsrung aytsyokx_; its many helping hands. The sight of these _ketuwong_ machines wasn't an unusual one for Clan Tawkami; many _Px'ro'pxs_ could often be seen moving and working here and there about their new home, for they helped Txra'kon We'er to care for itself and also cared for the _ioang aykelku _that Txra'kon We'er watched over. They seemed, at first, to only be _rr'o'po'txs _- mindless slaves, created and conditioned by Txra'kon We'er to carry out its orders, and the orders of _Olo'eyktan_ Txa'vit above all else - but this was far from the truth.

Like Txra'kon We'er, the _Px'ro'pxs _were _alive - _they were intelligent and spoke their own _hiyik_ machine language of long and short musical tones - and although they _did _swiftly carry out the orders of Txra'kon We'er and the _Olo'eyktan_ when asked to do so, they were highly sociable with the Clan, and sometimes provided assistance to them without being ordered to do so. During the early times, when _Olo'eyktan_ Txa'vit had first invited the Clan to settle and stay on his land - two boys had been playing a chasing game with their _aysu'shiri t'acto sa._ One of the young boys had tripped and fallen to the ground, the impact breaking his _su'shiri t'acto sa_ and giving him a scraped knee.

The boy hadn't been at all concerned about his injury - such minor scrapes were a common thing among children of the People whom were still learning the ways of Eywa - but he had been devastated by the breaking of his toy, which had been a precious gift passed down to him by his _Sempu!_ The poor boy had been reduced to tears at the loss of his toy. However, before anyone could intervene - upon hearing his cries and seeing what had happened - one of the _Px'ro'pxs_ paused in its work and made its way over to the distressed child, whereupon it took the toy from him and repaired it with some kind of _sä'o_, the end of which shone with bright _eampin atan_! In times of today, the _Px'ro'pxs_ often retrieved or repaired things - such as _aysä'o, aytsko, aytukru, aytxewk, aytstal, _and_aytskalep_ - and other items sometimes accidentally misplaced or broken by the People of the Clan.

Several _Px'ro'pxs_ had once swiftly repaired and set right an improperly setup _thípi_, which had been blown over by a particularly strong gust of wind. Once, a _Px'ro'px_ had even _called_ _Olo'eyktan_ Txa'vit from Txra'kon We'er, through a _nawm'atan_, to the place where a young girl-child had suffered an accident whilst looking for herbs to assist the Clan's healers; she had fallen down into a ravine and had broken both her legs! Thanks to the heroic deed of that _Px'ro'px_, the _Olo'eyktan_ had been able to use his powerful _aysä'o _to stabilize the ailing girl, before sending her through another _nawm'atan_ to the _fngap toktor_ of Txra'kon We'er, where she had been healed. Whilst the _Px'ro'pxs_ were sociable with the entire Clan, they particularly adored the children.

When they weren't following orders, the _ketuwong_ machines would often stop to 'talk' to them in their _hiyik_ language or engage them in games of chase. However, if they were working and the children harassed them - or if the children got too rough when engaging them in play - the _hì'i fngap_ machines would reprimand them; they would use their _aysä'o_ to deliver a harmless, but painful sting, like a _riti_! _Srane_, the little _fngap_ machines were a common - and always welcome - sight. But... why were _so many_ of the _hiyik_ _fngap ketuwong_ machines being sent out from their homes within Txra'kon We'er, now? As the _Px'ro'pxs_ began to disperse, in order to undertake whatever task the _Olo'eyktan_ had set for them, one of the Clan's children - a little girl named Sìlpey - intercepted one of them.

After venturing too far away from her parents one day, the poor girl had been involved in a frightening encounter with a _Lenay'ga_ that had almost ended her life! The vicious, carnivorous, sloth-like predator had wounded her gravely but, luckily for her, her parents managed to return with her to Txra'kon We'er, and there the great _fngap toktor_ healed her grievous wounds. The cost of her escapade, however, had been terrible indeed: she had lost her _tswin_, and thus, would never again be able to hear or talk to _Eywa_. All, however, was not lost; as she had lain within the _fngap toktor_, healing, Sìlpey had prayed to Txra'kon We'er... and to her surprise and delight, Txra'kon We'er had _heard her_ and then had gifted her with a new _tswin_ made of a golden-coloured _fngap_ _Olo'eyktan _Txa'vit called _Sih-S'tiil! _

With her new _fngap tswin_, Sìlpey found that she could talk to and learn from Txra'kon We'er, and also talk to the many ketuwong machines within it, including the _Px'ro'pxs! _Therefore_, _when this particular _Px'ro'px_ made to avoid her interception of it and continue on its way, she moved with it and blocked its path! As it readied its _sä'o_ to sting her, she softly said to it, _"Rutxe, ftang! Tsengpe kem si nga kä, hì'i 'awpo?" _The _ketuwong_ machine did stop and then, after 'speaking' a few words to her in its _hiyìk _language - which she was determined to learn one day - it opened a port on its side into which she could insert her new _tswin_. Excitedly, she made _Tsaheylu_ with the little machine... and then... she knew! _"Nga... nga kä hu aytsmukan fte fwew äo atxkxe!"_ she said to herself.


	14. Chapter 14

Disclaimer: _Blah, Blah, Blah. I don't own Avatar; James Cameron does. All the Avatar stuff belongs to him. However, my Na'vi character, myself, the Dragon Weyr and its technologies, and the Pandoran animals of my menagerie are all mine. The Protoss - apart from my characters - all belong to Blizzard Entertainment._

Pandora's Templar

A Work-In-Progress Story by Coranth Dehanae

Chapter 14

(Continued from Chapter 13...)

Gently disconnecting herself from the little machine, she petted it softly. It beeped at her and then went swiftly on its way. Once it was gone from her sight, Sìlpey raced to tell her parents what she had discovered! Meanwhile, back inside the Dragon Weyr - as the many Probes the great construct had deployed dispersed across my land - I waited, with bated breath, for the real-time video from their sensor suites to appear on the Holo-screen. 'Come on, come _on_,' I thought impatiently, 'there _has_ to be something down there!' When, at last, the screen came to life and the video stream began to appear I leaned forward, squinting, for the video feed was unclear; filled with grainy static and distortion.

Cursing to myself internally, via the miniature computer strapped to my forearm, I attempted to manually adjust the Holo-screen's various settings, in order to try to clear up what I was seeing. However, my adjustments proved fruitless; the video image was still grainy, distorted, and filled with static. 'Shit' I thought, 'it's nothing to do with the screen - that's in working order - so what the hell is causing all the interference?' Just then, a soft gasp escaped me as I remembered a passage which had caught my eye, when I'd read through the _Pandorapedia_ a while back. _"Polyphemus, the massive planet around which Pandora revolves, possesses a giant magnetosphere: a naturally occurring magnetic field a million times more powerful than Earth's. _

_As Pandora rotates and revolves through this field, its molten iron core generates its own field, with "cells" or vortices which are small regions of intensely powerful magnetic force at the surface."_ At that point, the Dragon Weyr and I were struck by the same thought at the same time: '_That's_ what's causing the interference!' Now knowing the cause of the problem, the mighty fortress commanded the Nanocytes within its deployed Probes to begin the work of adjusting and attuning their sensor suites to penetrate through the accursed electromagnetic interference. Gradually, the video feed began to clear, and then sharpen... but moments later, I wished that it hadn't, for as it did so I immediately espied, with horror, the discovery that there was _digging_ beneath Pandora!

Below the idyllic planet lay the barely scratched surface of a truly _gargantuan_ network of _tunnels,_ many of which extended beneath the site upon which the _Dragon Weyr rested! _Sheer horror gripped my guts and sizzled through the Dragon Weyr's circuits, for when the feed became completely clear, it not only revealed the tunnel network... but also the _horrors_ massed within said network, preparing to attack my Clan... 'Oh, shit! Oh, shit! Oh, _shit, shit, shit!_ They're _beneath_ us! _THEY'RE BENEATH US!_' I thought. Moments later, Txe'lan's scream of horror echoed up from the Computer Core, as through her bond with the great Nexus she, too, felt its horror and saw the video feed that I was seeing. _**'TXE'LAN!'**_ I bellowed in telepathic shorthand. _**'UNSEEING BELOW LAND! WARN CLAN! WARN CLAN NOW!'**_

My frantic call to Txe'lan, however, was just a second too late... Even as warriors raced to secure weapons from their _ayp'ah s'ivil chey_ to repel what was to come - and even as confused Na'vi women and children poured through the Transport Alcove into the _Weyrheart_ - the earth trembled, making the Dragon Weyr shake in turn! 'An earthquake?' I wondered. 'What the hell...?' The great Nexus shook only for the briefest of moments - internal gyroscopes and stabilizers soon stilled it again - but the _thípis_ used by the Na'vi weren't equipped with those and so, sick with worry for the People of my beloved Clan still incoming from outside, I gently pushed past the women and children whom were already present, then raced out of the _Weyrheart_ and up to a high balcony, where I could get a clear view of what was going on.

From there, I could only look on in horror, as everything went straight to hell. Whilst the Dragon Weyr and the other modern buildings of the Homestead were protected by their stabilizers, as the land continued to shake, the traditional _thípis_ collapsed and fell. As this happened, a tract of land near the collapsed dwellings split into a yawning _chasm_, from which a mass of beings the likes of which I'd never seen before emerged. They were Na'vi... and yet _not_ Na'vi. They were _alive_... and yet they should have been _dead_. They were a story of legend, nowadays used to frighten misbehaving Na'vi children... and yet, they were terrifyingly _real_: The Unseeing, or 'They who could not see.'

As they poured forth from the chasm - their twisted, misshapen, white-skinned forms glistening with a mixture of blood, dirt, and _filth_ in the light of the sun - the largest of them, whom I assumed was their _Olo'eyktan_, opened his mutated, inhuman mouth filled with far too many teeth and _roared_ a nightmarish, utterly inhuman sound of challenge! That challenge was soon answered. Along with the mighty warrior Lompor - armed and ready with his enormous Psi-Steel spear - those warriors of Clan Tawkami whom had found purchase on the ground during the earthquake readied their weapons. Those warriors whom had been caught flat-footed and off guard during the quake smashed and cut their way out from beneath ruined _thípis_, before swiftly moving to join Lompor.

Shortly after, with pride swelling in my chest, I watched as my finest student in the physical arts of combat howled his own rallying cry - _**"WE'ER AYOEHU"**_ - as he charged with them towards the enemy... and then, the battle was joined! 'They who could not see' possessed no melee weapons - instead, they attacked the brave warriors of my Clan with unnatural savagery and bloodlust, rending them apart with malformed teeth and claws - but the Warriors of Clan Tawkami gave as good as they got, none more so than Lompor! _"Now __this__ is fighting, ma Tsmukan!"_ he crowed to one of his fellow warriors as he impaled a horror through the neck with his spear, and then kicked the fetid corpse away, before turning to smash another misshapen thing with the butt-end of his weapon as it attempted to attack him from behind.

As a warrior, Lompor was powerful indeed. Not only did he fight brutally with his massive spear, but he also made 'They who do not see' feel something akin to fear when - after having his spear knocked from his hands - he _roared_ with rage and began _breaking the necks_ of his enemies with his bare hands! Occasionally, he even lifted the odd two up off the ground so as to crush their heads together and pulverize them with his tremendous strength! Whilst the Na'vi of Clan Tawkami fought, the animals of the Homestead, too, defended their homes; the _Nantang_ of the Wolvery fiercely mauled and massacred any of the enemy whom ventured too close, _Ikran_ seized and then dropped from soaring heights any whom dared attack their aeries and any of the Unseeing whom approached the _Fa'li_ Stables were smashed and ground into bloody paste by the mighty hooves of my Beauty and her kin!

Even the Dragon Weyr got in on the action, tearing into the multitude of horrors with multiple Photon Cannons, Anti-Matter Missiles, and swarms of Interceptors unleashed from their hangar bays. As the pitched battle raged on - armed with their knowledge of traditional weapon lore and brutal _tawtute_ battle tactics - the warriors of my Clan worked a highly effective strategy. Beneath a constant barrage of arrow fire courtesy of the hunters armed with their myriad of traditional and modern bows, they would attack the enemy in teams of six well armed phalanxes. A pair of warriors - with modern weaponry and induced psi-field generators attached to their _taparrabos_ - would tear apart the enemy in melee combat until their shields began to fail.

At that point, the pair of warriors with depleted shields would switch with a _second_ pair of 'modern' warriors, retreating behind them for protection until their psionic energy shields recharged. Then, once the shields of the second pair were depleted, both pairs of warriors would switch with each other again. During the brief period in which the pairs were switching in and out, traditionalists would 'plug the gaps', in order to wreak brutal havoc upon the foe with their ancient, yet still utterly lethal stone and bone weapons. Still, dear readers - even with their animal companions, the Homestead animals, and the might of the Dragon Weyr to aid them - it was not enough.

The misshapen forms of 'They who could not see' gifted the _un_-Na'vi with incredible endurance and tenacity, and as they cut down my brave men where they stood - hewing their limbs, rending their flesh, and _consuming their blood_ - they seemed not at all to feel pain! Even worse, each time one of the enemy warriors was felled, my warriors could only watch in horror as the misshapen man was brutally torn apart and _cannibalized_ - eaten _alive_ - by those whom would replace him! Whilst the enemy poured forth from the chasm in greater and greater numbers, we were steadily losing men, moral... and hope. 'Damn it, I have to get down there,' I thought. 'I have to fight!'

As I turned to race back down to the Weyrheart - in order to use the Transport Alcove to reach the Gate of Dawn - the doors leading from the external balcony upon which I was standing snapped closed! "Hey!" I cried, furiously pounding against them in anger. "Adun damn you, you blasted bucket of bolts, let me through; I need to get down there and help my people; I _have_ to _help_ them!" Despite my anger, the Dragon Weyr refused to open the doors! Instead a mixture of _protectiveness _and _negation_ filed my thoughts, followed by a vision... _As I stood there before him within the Templar Archives of Chionesu, my head bowed in shame for the grievous error I had committed, my Mentor, High Templar Zhand'Akull, reprimanded me gently for my failure. _

_"We High Templar are __forbidden__ to engage in combat by any mundane means, David, even from a distance! Remember your Oath."_ With furious anger, I banished the vision from my mind. "To _hell_ with my Oath!" I snarled. "God damn it, man, let me back in so I can get to ground level and aid my men!" Again, the Dragon Weyr refused to comply with my wishes, and so - giving up on the balcony doors - I paced back and forth, thinking. 'Okay... okay; psychic abilities. How can I aid them from here?' In that instant, an idea struck me. Halting my pacing, I leaned against the balcony rails and dropped into a light meditative trance. Then, drawing upon some of my internal psionic energy reserves, I invoked the ability I possessed called "Charm" and used it to psychically _influence_ my people, inspiring them and filling them with tremendous courage!

Buoyed by said courage, those warriors still fighting began to fight all the harder, whilst those demoralized warriors who had lost their will to fight took heart, raised their weapons, and began to fight again, believing that Txra'kon We'er was with them! 'That should buy us some time, at least!' I thought. As the Dragon Weyr's _affirmation_ filled my thoughts I attempted to use "Charm" upon 'They who could not see', in order to demoralize them, by invoking within their minds dreadful feelings of fear and terror. So corrupted were they, however, that - to my horror - I could not touch their minds; in fact, it was as if they _had_ no minds, as if they were empty voids! 'Alright' I thought, 'so psychic abilities that affect the mind don't work on them. But what about a _physical_ psychic attack? It's time I showed these fuckers the fury of a true High Templar!'

With that, I slipped into a deeper trance - chanting holy Khalani litanies and phrases from the _Codex de Khalai_ to help center myself - as I closed my mind to the outside world and began to concentrate, gathering and focusing my latent mental power. Then, opening my eyes and raising my hands to the sky, I made my power manifest... Psionic lightning arced and danced across the enemy, disrupting and overloading what passed for their minds even as it boiled their blood and set them aflame! Until today, the Na'vi of Clan Tawkami had never before seen the power I possessed. In fact, I had hoped never to show it to them as I had worried about how they might react to it; I didn't want them to fear me because of my power.

Thus - since they had never seen it before until now - at first, the People of my Clan thought that my Psionic Storm was some new blasphemous power of 'They who could not see.' However, when Lompor turned and caught sight of me standing upon the balcony - my hands outstretched toward the heavens and enveloped with an aura of manifested psychic power - he swiftly banished the notion. _**"Our Olo'eyktan is with us my brothers!"**_ he cried above the din. _**"He invokes the nawm'atan of Txra'kon We'er!"**_ That, dear readers, was what finally did it; the vile _un_-Na'vi were routed! As the furious, crackling cerulean energy of the Psionic Storm continued to rage about and over them, 'They who could not see' began to make a 'tactical retreat.'


	15. Chapter 15

Disclaimer: _Blah, Blah, Blah. I don't own Avatar; James Cameron does. All the Avatar stuff belongs to him. However, my Na'vi character, myself, the Dragon Weyr and its technologies, and the Pandoran animals of my menagerie are all mine. The Protoss - apart from my characters - all belong to Blizzard Entertainment._

Pandora's Templar

A Work-In-Progress Story by Coranth Dehanae

Chapter 15

(Continued from Chapter 14...)

In other words, the savage, monstrous bastards slithered back into their tunnel like the cowards they were! When they realized the _un_-Na'vi were retreating, the brave warriors of Clan Tawkami whooped and hollered with victorious cheer as they gave the enemy incentive to move faster... by viciously cutting down and hacking apart any stragglers who couldn't run fast enough! Finally, when all of the remaining _un_-Na'vi were gone - I watched, my eyes wide with incredulity - as the tunnel from which they had come began to close itself behind them! Once it was completely closed, _nothing _remained of where it once had been, save a few pieces of loose, scattered rock and debris. 'Was... was that Eywa's work?' I wondered, curiously. 'Did she do that? Ah, it doesn't matter...'

With a smile I shook my head as I allowed my Psionic Storm to disperse; we had won the day. As soon as that thought entered my mind, however, a frown creased my face, as I pondered what was still to come. 'The aftermath...' I thought, my frown turning into a grimace, 'and it's always far worse than the battle that preceded it...' As it turned out, my fears were correct: our victory was a pyrrhic one; the _thípi_ village of Clan Tawkami lay in ruin, many of our finest warriors and beloved animal friends had been either critically wounded or killed, and even some of the modern buildings of the Homestead had been damaged, despite the protection afforded to them by their powerful psionic energy shields.

Even worse, during the chaos and confusion of battle - despite the evacuations which had successfully taken place - several of my Clan's females had been dragged underground by 'They who could not see', including Lompor's mate, Maena, and my beloved friend, Txe'lan, whom had ventured outside to help with said evacuations! All was not lost, however; many of my people yet lived, and so did many more of our beloved animals, including the 'core' of the menagerie. Immediately following the battle, the Dragon Weyr redeployed its army of Probes, whom swiftly began shifting the wounded through Warp Gates to the Clinic. There, the Clan's healers - whom were much disgruntled, as the Dragon Weyr had actually _sealed them in there,_ rather than allowing them to fight - immediately began to assist the Autodoc with their treatment.

This served to buoy the spirits of my people, but the Na'vi of Clan Tawkami were even more heartened when - after the wounded had been dealt with - the powerful little Probes of the Dragon Weyr swiftly began to repair and set to right not only their _thípi_ village, but also any of their possessions that had been smashed or lost and any parts of the Homestead that had been damaged during the battle. The actions of the army of Probes were met with suspicion, however, when they first analyzed - and then sent back through Warp Gates to the great Nexus - the clearly dead bodies of nearly all our fallen warriors and animal friends! This did not sit well with _Tsa'hik_ San'eya, at all; in fact she was utterly _incensed_ at the Dragon Weyr's actions!

_"For what reason has Txra'kon We'er not allowed the Great Mother to take them? Why has it done this blasphemous thing?"_ she said, her teeth bared in a snarl as she paced in front of me, whilst I sat before her on the Great Fleece Pile, roughly four nights after the battle. _"They should be allowed to rest with Eywa!"_ Rising to stand before her, I raised my hands in a placating gesture as I softly intoned, _"Lu Mawey, ma tsmuken, lu mawey. I am sure that Txra'kon We'er has a reason for its actions..."_ I was merely stalling, however, because, truthfully, I was wondering at its actions myself. Why _had_ the Dragon Weyr commanded its Probes to retrieve the majority of our dead?

In curiosity, I sent a query to the mighty fortress via our psychic bond... but, to my surprise and chagrin, I was _rebuffed_ as a feeling of _dismissal_ filled my thoughts; something that usually only happened when the great Nexus was extremely busy. Clearly, it was. 'But what is it doing that could be so important?' I wondered. Oh, how I wished my beloved friend, Txe'lan, were here at this moment, for she had a way with the Dragon Weyr that I did not possess, and she could have, perhaps, persuaded the überfortress to reveal to me whatever it was that kept it so occupied. But, alas, she was _not_ here, and so, I had to search elsewhere for an explanation. Said explanation came to me roughly several days later when the little girl, Sìlpey - Daughter of Tìrol and Taw - came tearing into the _Weyrheart_ and stopped before us, panting, and out of breath!

After taking a moment to get her breath back, little Sìlpey bowed respectfully before San'eya and I and then, she began speaking so fast that we could barely keep up with her! What she told us was utterly incredible. After roaming through the deeper parts of the Dragon Weyr to explore, simply because she was bored and looking for something to do, the canny little girl had somehow ended up in Txe'lan's sanctum, deep within the great construct's crystalline Computer Core. _"I felt like I had journeyed to Utral Aymokriyä,"_ she said excitedly. _"It was so beautiful! I... I made Tsaheylu with Txra'kon We'er there, and he asked me how I was. I told him I was fine... and then - he told me to tell you that... that he is sorry for being so quiet..."_ She lapsed into silence then, and gazed at the floor, shuffling her feet in nervousness. _"And why is he being so quiet, ma Olo' 'Ite,"_ I prodded, gently.

For a moment, Sìlpey did not reply; she just remained there silently, her head lowered. Then, finally, she raised her head to gaze at us with a mixture of awe and wonder, as she answered, _"He told me that he took all our dead animals and people to his nawm fngap toktor. Txra'kon We'er said... he said that, if they were not too badly hurt, he could use the fngap toktor to return them to life!"_ In that instant, an epiphany struck me as I cottoned on to what she was talking about. 'Of course!' I thought, my own excitement rising. 'A Code White Resuscitation! I completely forgot about that. In simple terms - as long as the brain isn't damaged and the body is relatively intact - the Autodoc is able to revive and restore a person to health, roughly _seventy three hours_ beyond what is considered to be death!'

Sensing my rising excitement, _Tsa'hik_ San'eya leaned towards me, her golden-eyed gaze hawk-like. _"What is it, ma Olo'eyktan?"_ she asked. Although I wasn't as good as Txe'lan when it came to explaining things such as this to the Na'vi - in a voice thick with the unbridled excitement I was feeling - I did my best to explain to the _Tsa'hik_ of _Eywa_ the incredible miracle that the Dragon Weyr was working, even as we spoke. San'eya, however, did not react well to what I had to say; on the contrary, her golden eyes widened as the expression on her face twisted into one of mixed incredulity and horror. As I looked on, she staggered away from me and then - clutching her hair with her hands - she began to hyperventilate! _"B-But... but... Eywa!"_ she said as she struggled to breathe.

_"Txra'kon We'er... They ... should... be... with... Eywa!"_ My excitement swiftly becoming great alarm, I moved towards the Tsa'hik to attempt to reason with her and calm her down but even as she gasped for breath, her strength was still great; she viciously shoved me away and I fell to the floor, the impact stealing the breath from my lungs! _"You... blasphemer!"_ she snarled, regaining a semblance of control. _"How __dare__ you allow Txra'kon We'er to take them! Those Children of Eywa - both animal and Na'vi - who fought and died, did so with __honor__; they __deserve__ to be at peace with Eywa! What you speak of... What you allow Txra'kon We'er to do... This 'revival of the dead'... It is not natural!"_ Still struggling to return air to my lungs, as I laid there on the Great Fleece Pile I could do nothing to quell San'eya's rage or even defend myself, as she swiftly stalked towards me, intent on striking me again.

Fortunately, however, I did not need to do anything. As she saw _Tsa'hik_ San'eya drawing close to me with fist raised to strike, Sìlpey - who had merely been observing everything up until this point - screamed out, _"Do __not__ hurt our Olo'eyktan!"_ and then barreled into the enraged _Tsa'hik_, knocking her to the _Weyrheart's_ carpeted floor! As the Tsa'hik lay there, stunned by what had just occurred, Sìlpey stood before me in a protective stance and began to berate the incapacitated Elder! _"You stupid, __stupid__ skxawng!"_ she snapped. _"What is 'not natural' is that the Warriors and animal friends of our Clan that died did so when they were not __ready__ to die! Tell me, __Tsa'hik__"_ she continued, spitting the title as though it were a curse, _"if they who fell should be with Eywa... then why did the Great Mother not immediately embrace them when they fell?"_

Having regained my breath, as I gingerly sat up, I stared at Sìlpey in wonder. 'Holy shit,' I thought to myself, in private realization, 'she's right! During the entire course of that battle, not _once_ did I see Eywa's vines embrace any of the Clan's warriors, at all! She sure did a good job at 'removing' the corpses of the enemy, though!' Banishing the thought, I returned my attention to Sìlpey as she continued to speak to San'eya. _"Why - instead of claiming them - did she allow the Px'ro'pxs of Txra'kon We'er to take them?"_ When the _Tsa'hik_ did not answer - because she _couldn't_ answer - Sìlpey answered the question herself. _"Because"_ she answered, _"Eywa knew that they were not yet __ready__ to join with her!_

_Eywa __knew__ this - for the Great Mother knows all - and __that__ is why she allowed Txra'kon We'er to take them! You are a __stupid__ skxawng for hurting Olo'eyktan Txa'vit, and for not Seeing Sa'nok Eywa... or Sempul Txra'kon We'er! You are just like __Ema'zu!__"_As that final word left little Sìlpey's mouth, furious with rage, _Tsa'hik_ San'eya struggled to her feet - perhaps to berate the 'impudent' child for her brazen audacity - but as she stood, suddenly, she doubled over in pain, clutching at the center of her chest! That, dear readers, was when everything just _stopped_ as the Dragon Weyr - upon detecting this symptom of impending heart attack - immediately _shifted_ _Tsa'hik_ San'eya to the Clinic.


	16. Chapter 16

Disclaimer: _Blah, Blah, Blah. I don't own Avatar; James Cameron does. All the Avatar stuff belongs to him. However, my Na'vi character, myself, the Dragon Weyr and its technologies, and the Pandoran animals of my menagerie are all mine. The Protoss - apart from my characters - all belong to Blizzard Entertainment._

Pandora's Templar

A Work-In-Progress Story by Coranth Dehanae

Chapter 16

(Continued from Chapter 15...)

Once the cerulean light of the miniature Warp Gate through which it had sent her faded away - her golden eyes misting over with tears - Sìlpey quickly ran over to me, crying, _"Olo'eyktan, Olo'eyktan; are you all right?"_ Gently, she helped me to my feet and then she supported me as I made my way over to the leather sofa and crashed down into it. Then, leaning forward, I rested my head in my hands, a soft groan of pain escaping me. _Tsa'hik_ San'eya's attack against me - although quite weak for a Na'vi of her prowess and stature - had still been powerful, and she'd actually bruised several of my ribs! When she heard my pained groan, Sìlpey gazed at me in concern, resting a hand upon my shoulder. _"Are you all right, ma Olo'eyktan?"_ she asked again.

Shaking my head, I softly answered, _"Kehe, ma Olo' 'ite, I am not... but I will be. Truth be told, I'm more worried about San'eya."_ Upon hearing this, Sìlpey wrapped me in an embrace as she began to weep upon my shoulder. _"I... I said some __really__ mean things to her, ma Olo'eyktan!"_ she said as she cried, her tears staining my Templar Robe. _"Did... did __I__ cause her the pain she was in, before Sempul Txra'kon We'er took her?"_ Suddenly, horror gripped her guts. _"What if... what if she __dies__? What shall we do then?"_ she asked, her eyes widening. She was becoming almost terrified with worry, and I hastened to reassure her that her fears were unfounded. _"Tam tam, ma Olo' 'Ite,"_ I intoned softly, gathering her into my arms and rocking her gently. _"Tam tam. Hush now. You didn't cause this to happen, at __all!__ Do you understand? You __didn't__ make this happen!_

_In fact, nobody knew that this was going to happen, until it did."_ When she finally managed to stop crying, Sìlpey settled comfortably within my embrace and then - raising her head up to look at me with still misty eyes - she asked, _"Really? No one knew? Not even Sempul Txra'kon We'er?"_ At that moment, the Dragon Weyr - upon hearing the question - sent a burst of _affirmation_ into my thoughts, and I nodded. _"Srane, ma 'itetsyìp, not even Txra'kon We'er knew."_ At this, Sìlpey's eyes widened as she struggled with the idea of the all-powerful, all-knowing Dragon Weyr... _not_ being as all-powerful, or as all-knowing, as she believed. _"But... Txra'kon We'er's power is so great, and with such power must come even greater knowledge. Surely - like nawm Sa'nok Eywa - nawm Sempul Txra'kon We'er must know __everything__!"_

'Ah, the beliefs of children...' I thought, gazing at her with a fond smile. When the Dragon Weyr heard her declaration - and then replied with a mixture of _negation_ and _optimism_ - I grinned as I struggled not to laugh and aggravate my bruised ribs. When Sìlpey gave me a curious look, I translated the emotions of the great Nexus into words. _"Txra'kon We'er says that he doesn't know everything __yet__, but he will, one day!"_ At this, we both burst out laughing. When we were able to regain control of ourselves I said, _"Now don't you worry, ma 'itetsyìp; Tsa'hik San'eya is inside the fngap toktor and will be well taken care of by Txra'kon We'er. She will be fine!"_ Just then, Falkor and Miracle - who'd been playing a rousing game of tag outside - bounded into the _Weyrheart_ and then skidded to a halt in front of us.

"Hey you two..." I said to them softly in English, removing my hands from Sìlpey to first pet and then hug them both. "How've you been?" My Viperwolf companion and the cybernetic Ikran whom I practically considered to be my son in all but race and blood, both woofed and chirruped enthusiastically. When they saw the state that Sìlpey and I were in, however, their entire demeanors changed; whining and chirruping softly in concern, they proceeded to nuzzle Sìlpey and I gently. "Aw, don't worry about us, guys; we'll be okay!" I said to them. Sìlpey merely nodded her head shyly. Then, gently freeing herself from my embrace, she moved to begin softly petting my two animal friends, occasionally casting at them a longing glance.

Upon noticing this, I asked her, _"Would you like to play with them?"_ The child's eyes widened, a soft gasp escaping her, and she swiftly turned her head to look at me. _"May I?"_ she asked. Falkor and Miracle both answered her question with happy woofs and chirrups, and as they did so I laughed and nodded. _"Of course you can!"_ I replied. And with that, Sìlpey shouted a quick _"Irayo Olo'eyktan!"_ as she and my two animal friends raced out of the _Weyrheart_ and outside to play. As it turned out, my statement to Sìlpey - that _Tsa'hik_ San'eya would be fine - was correct. Six days later, when she was finally able to leave the Dragon Weyr's Clinic - along with the majority of our newly revived Warriors and animal friends - she was, indeed 'fine'; in fact, she'd been given a new lease on life!

As the revived animals made their way from the Dragon Weyr and returned to their homes - and as the restored Warriors and Hunters of my Clan who had been killed joyfully embraced Lifemates who had previously been grieving for them - slowly, and almost hesitantly, _Tsa'hik_ San'eya approached me. Her golden eyes misting over with silvery tears of the deepest shame and regret, she knelt before me as she performed a kneeling bow so deep that her forehead touched the floor. Then, as I watched, she began to weep softly. _"Ma Olo'eyktan... Txa'vit... I... __Ngaytxoa! Ngaytxoa!__"_ she choked out through bitter tears. Curiosity from the Dragon Weyr filled my thoughts, then - a feeling equal to my own - as I carefully stepped towards her, reaching out a hand to help her to her feet. _"For what, ma Tsmuken?"_ I asked, softly.

Instead of reaching for my offered hand, my Clan's _Tsa'hik_ of _Eywa_ rose to embrace me, wrapping her arms about my much smaller body. _"Olo' 'Ite Sìlpey was __right!__"_ she rasped softly as she continued to weep, dampening my Templar Robe with her tears. _"I __was__ a yaymak skxawng!"_ At this, I returned her embrace, rubbing her back soothingly through her brightly coloured _turinash_, as I softly protested. _"__No__, ma Tsmuken!"_ I uttered softly. _"__No__, you're __not__! If anything, __I__ am the skxawng here! When I told you of what Txra'kon We'er was doing with our fallen, it was too much for you; you could not..." _San'eya, however, refused to listen to my gentle words of protest. _"Srane, __Srane__, I __am__ a skxawng, Txa'vit!"_ she insisted. _"I did not truly See Txra'kon We'er... but now I do..."_

'Man, she's... she's really shaken up!' I realized. 'Something really big must've happened to her in the Clinic...' The Dragon Weyr's _affirmation_ filled my thoughts, but nothing more, and when I attempted a query, the response I got was absent _affirmation_, followed by a light feeling of _dismissal_, and then a mental image of San'eya, followed by a feeling of _insistence_; the construct's way of saying, "Yes, something _did_ happen, but you'll have to talk to San'eya about it." I sighed softly through my nose and then, aloud, I asked. _"San'eya, what happened in the Clinic? What did Txra'kon We'er do to you in there?"_ San'eya thought for a moment in remembrance, and then, she told me.

_"When I passed through the nawm'atan and arrived at the... the Kx'lin'ikx - the swotu eo ayzeyko inside Txra'kon We'er"_ she began, _"I was inside the fngap toktor, but I had, thankfully, been separated from... from the __others__; I could not see them at all. After that, I was aware of nothing - Txra'kon We'er put me to sleep, I think - but when I awakened again..."_ She lapsed into silence for a moment, then - the expression on her face shifting to one of mixed awe and wonder - before she continued, _"... I found that Txra'kon We'er had modified my tswin. Here, I'll show you..."_ Gently taking said _tswin_ in hand, she brought the long braid around from behind her to show me, and when I beheld it I was stunned!

Her queue didn't possess an 'extension' like Txe'lan's, and wasn't formed entirely of Psi-Steel like Sìlpey's, because it was a _hybrid_; something entirely new and innovative. As far as I could tell, exactly fifty percent of the many pink, worm-like neural tendrils at its end had been removed and replaced with _cybernetic_ tendrils; amazing psi-steel coated bio-system constructs, packed with some of the most advanced crystalline psiotechnological circuitry I had ever seen! _"By Adun, it's... incredible!"_ I whispered softly in awe while I examined it. As a mixture of _pride _and _embarrassment_ from the Dragon Weyr filled my thoughts, San'eya broke her embrace with me and then - as the newly revived Warriors of the Clan looked on in curiosity - she swiftly escorted me to the _Weyrheart's_ Sleeping Alcove.

Upon our arrival there - to my surprise - the Dragon Weyr sealed and locked the alcove door, but San'eya took no notice of this; instead, she sat down with me on the double bed, whereupon she continued her tale. _"After that, for the first time, Txra'kon We'er made Tsaheylu with me and then... then it __talked__ to me, Txa'vit!"_ she said, in awe. _"It said... it said that with my new tswin, I would be able to talk to it __and __to Eywa; that, I would truly be in balance! Txra'kon We'er also said that... that with the fngap toktor's pxay aynari it saw that my heart was failing, and so replaced it with a Px'ai'o Sx'ee'st'm; a new txe'lan of __rusey fngap__ for my body! It... Txra'kon We'er even used hi'i machines smaller than my very body to... to purge txum from me and return some of the years to my life!_

_"After that..."_ Suddenly, she lapsed into silence, her expression becoming utterly stricken and then, when she resumed speaking, the language she spoke - _fluently_ to my surprise - was the spoken form of _Khalani! "After that, the Dragon Weyr showed me __everything__, David!"_ At this, my jaw dropped open and my eyes widened with astonishment, a soft gasp escaping me. _"Everything?"_ I choked in the same tongue. A shiver coursed through her body then, as - with a tiny nod of her head - she replied, _"Yes. To think I once believed that the Dragon Weyr was little more than a dead lifeless, metal thing! Oh, David, I was so... so __blind! __It let me see your __life__ - no, allowed me to __live__ your life - in but a moment! I... I saw __everything__!_

_Your time on Earth; your rescue by the Protoss; your discovery of your beloved Ieesha and the years you spent with her; the First Betrayal that led to you and she leaving their world, Aiur; your reconciliation with the Protoss and the Second Betrayal that led to Ieesha's death!_ _I... I saw you __end__ it for her, David... and I heard her final words. Oh, how I wish I could have met her, David, and I wish that Eywa could have met her, too; I __know__ the Great Mother would have welcomed her as one of her Children!" _Old, old memories stirred within me, then, as San'eya wept mournfully for the loss of a gentle being that was far, far too good for this world. Long ago, when I had done the same, I'd been alone with no one to comfort me.

_Tsa'hik_ San'eya, however, would _not_ be alone. Gently, I held her in my arms and rocked her, as she cried like a babe. A short while later - once she was able to cease crying and dry the tears from her eyes with a piece of gauze from my Field Medical Kit - she finished her story in Na'vi. _"Txra'kon We'er also let me see how he was __made__; how he grew from simple fngap kelku into the place he is today. He is __incredible__, Txa'vit!"_ A mixture of embarrassment and pride from said Weyr filled our thoughts, then, making us both smile at each other. "So... the Dragon Weyr _really_ showed you everything? It let you live my life?" Wordlessly, she nodded. Getting up off the bed, I moved to stand before her

Then, as she stared at me in curiosity - perhaps wondering what I was doing - I gazed at her for a moment with a critical eye, before barking in Khalani, _"I fear no enemy for the Khala is my strength!"_ _Tsa'hik _San'eya's eyes widened for a moment, and then, she grinned before replying, _"I fear not Death, for my strength is eternal!"_ I nodded to her; she knew the _Creed de Khalai_. _"What are the Seven Pillars, to which we all should aspire?"_ I questioned of her. The grin disappeared from her face, then, as she moved to stand at her full height and gaze down at me, her expression proud. _"Duty; Honor; Loyalty; Strength; Knowledge; Wisdom; Excellence!"_ she recited loudly in the same tongue.

At that moment, the Dragon Weyr unsealed the Sleeping Alcove door, allowing us to exit. Swiftly, I escorted _Tsa'hik_ San'eya to the Psiodeck and then - as I ran her through several basic, and then several more advanced katas from the days of my training as a Zealot - I asked her, _"Why has Txra'kon We'er done this?"_ Moving fluently through the katas as though she'd practiced them for years - and even correcting my stances when I occasionally made a mistake, since I hadn't practiced them for a long time - the now not-so-Elderly Tsa'hik pondered the question for a while, before she shook her head. _"I do not know, ma Olo'eyktan. All Txra'kon We'er said was that I would be truly... in balance..."_

Almost instantly, she and I ceased our kata practice as we were both suddenly struck with the same terrible epiphany. _"Surely... surely Txra'kon We'er does not intend for __me__ to be its Tsa'hik as well, now that Txe'lan is...?"_ she said, an expression of horror etched upon her face. As she said this, however, there came a blast of such strong _**NEGATION**_ from the Dragon Weyr that even San'eya could feel it! "You _don't_ want her to be _Tsa'hik?_" I queried. "Why?" The Dragon Weyr responded to my question by first sending me a mental image of my beloved friend Txe'lan, and then transmitting a curious vision: a piece of footage from an old film... _As Frankenstein's Monster slowly rose from the cold, stone slab within his Laboratory, the mad Doctor yelled joyously, "It's alive! It's alive!" and then cackled with wicked glee..._

When the vision faded, I became filled with joy, for it wasn't the _content_ of the Dragon Weyr's unusual response that was important, but what the great construct had been trying to _convey_ to me through it. 'Txe'lan is alive...' I realized. 'She's _alive!_ When the massive blast of _**AFFIRMATION/ELATION**_ rolled through me, quickly, I asked, 'Can you reach her? Are _all_ of our missing females alive?' For a moment, the Dragon Weyr's absent concentration filled my thoughts as it tested the integrity of the bond it possessed with its young _Tsa'hik_... and then, the Psiodeck lights flickered and _dimmed_ and horror gripped my guts as a wave of delirium and pain from Txe'lan rolled through us both, followed by the Weyr's affirmation/negation. "Shit!" I cursed aloud, in English.

Upon hearing my vehement curse, _Tsa'hik_ San'eya stared at me with trepidation. _"What is it, Txa'vit?"_ she asked. Bowing to her apologetically, I hurriedly uttered, _"Ngaytxoa ma Tsa'hik; you have done well, but we must end our sparring session for today. En Taro Eywa!"_ Bowing gently, the Tsa'hik of Eywa uttered, _"Adun, ngahu."_ Then, as we left the Psiodeck she turned to me - her face creased with worry - and asked again, _"What is it, Txa'vit?"_ As we made our way back to the Weyrheart, I quickly snapped, _"Tsa'hik Txe'lan is __alive,__ ma Tsmuken, but Txra'kon We'er does not know if the others are..."_ At this revelation, the Tsa'hik of _Eywa_ gasped softly. _"Txra'kon We'er told you this?"_ she said breathlessly.

_"Srane" _I replied, with a quick nod of my head. _"Txe'lan is alive, but confused and in terrible pain. Until I see their bodies or find other proof that they are dead I am going to assume that the other females whom were dragged beneath the land of kifkey Eywa'evengä, too, are alive. We take no chances, but no matter their condition, we __must__ rescue them, ma Tsmuken!"_ Tsa'hik San'eya's golden eyes widened in a mixture of dawning realization and horror. _"But... but that means...?" _

_"Srane"_ I replied. _"Our battle against 'They who cannot see' is not over; in fact, it has only just begun. We must convene a Council of War!"_


	17. Chapter 17

Disclaimer: _Blah, Blah, Blah. I don't own Avatar; James Cameron does. All the Avatar stuff belongs to him. However, my Na'vi character, myself, the Dragon Weyr and its technologies, and the Pandoran animals of my menagerie are all mine. The Protoss - apart from my characters - all belong to Blizzard Entertainment._

Pandora's Templar

A Work-In-Progress Story by Coranth Dehanae

Chapter 17

(Continued from Chapter 16...)

Two nights later, before myself and said Council, Lompor paced back and forth, his cyan-skinned face creased with a mixture of frustration and rage, until finally, he could take no more. Whirling about to face me, he loomed over me as I sat before the Clan, and thundered, _"Bah! Enough words; there is no more time for __talk__! Somehow, we __must__ find and strike against 'they who cannot see', ma Olo'eyktan, we must! Ma yawne Maena was dragged beneath kifkey Eywa'evengä by those ketuwong ayvrrtep and so was your companion, Txe'lan! Eywa only knows what has been done to them!"_ At his vehement words, murmurs of anger agreement and sympathy flowed as a wave through the assembled Clan whilst through my own thoughts _understanding_ and _sympathy_ from the Dragon Weyr coursed like a river; even the great Nexus was sympathetic at his plight.

My heart, too, ached for Lompor - he was my best student in the arts of martial combat and his Lifemate had always been hospitable to me whenever I'd stopped by their _thípi_ to 'check in' on my morning and evening Walkabouts of the Homestead. From the moment the Dragon Weyr had told me that she, Txe'lan, and the other females of Clan Tawkami still lived, thoughts of a plan for how we might rescue them all had been foremost on my mind. Now, finally - after working up and running countless scenarios in my head prior to and during the convention of the War Council - I had come up with a workable plan, and so, I raised a hand for silence. Upon seeing my raised hand, _Tsa'hik_ San'eya - whom was seated near my left side - called out, _"Fnu, rutxe! Fnu, rutxe, frapo! Olo'eyktan Txa'vit would speak! Fnu, rutxe!"_

I inhaled deeply, and then, I began to speak. _"I have a plan for a rescue operation, but it will take time to complete, and it __must__ be done __perfectly.__"_ At my words, there was brief pause for thought, followed by murmurs of assent and near unanimous nodding. I made to continue speaking, then, but - brash, excited, and anxious to take the fight to the foe - one of the Clan's younger warriors brazenly spoke out, interrupting me. _"What would you have us do, ma Olo'eyktan?"_ he asked, eagerly. _"We can fight! We are ready!"_ Riled up by his excitement and eagerness to battle the foe, other young warriors whooped, hollered, and shouted assent. Lompor, whom had moved to stand near me, frowned with disapproval at the young upstart's actions, and then turned to me, giving a quick shake of his head.

Well versed in my _tawtute_ arts as well as his own, my student did not approve of this one's actions, for such brashness and eagerness would only lead him to his death. With a nod of acknowledgement to him, I stood and then addressed the cocky fool. _**"TÌFNU,"**_ I thundered, my voice laced with psionic power, _**"YOU ARE NOT READY!"**_ Despite the fact that I was only half his size and was not as strong as he, intimidated by the power of my voice as well as the commanding presence I exuded, the young warrior - Tsu'ket, son of Tìtxur and Tirea - cringed before me, as the group he'd swayed fell silent, lowering their heads and shuffling their feet with embarrassment. With them suitably chastised, I resumed speaking.

_"As I was saying... This plan must be performed and executed perfectly; there will be no skxawng heroics in this - no fighting for such things as honor, pride or glory - because if we fail we may lose those we seek to save! __None__ of you are ready for this yet, at all... but you will be..."_Then, there was silence in the Weyrheart - not a sound, save for the near-quiet background hum of the Dragon Weyr's electrical and psionic systems - as the Na'vi processed what I had said. Then, finally, one of the older warriors - Tìrey son of Vitra - spoke. _"What, then, is your plan, ma Olo'eyktan?"_ he asked. For a moment, I did not respond to his question; I merely closed my eyes in contemplation as I worked out the final few details of said plan. Then, opening my eyes to survey the entire Clan I began to speak.

_"At least part of Tsa'hik San'eya's story of 'They who cannot See' is true; before __they__ attacked us, I asked Txra'kon We'er to send out its pxay aytsyokx and use them to look below the land. They revealed the existence of many, many __tunnels__; great passages hewn from the earth beneath kifkey Eywa'evengä. __That__ is where they come from."_Suddenly, as I made to continue, I was abruptly cut off by Meuia, son of Nìteng as he angrily yelled, _"You knew of this? You __knew__ that there was going to be an attack? Why did you not warn the Clan?"_ Raising a hand in a placating gesture, I answered, _"I did not know about the attack until it was almost too late to..."_ I began, but again, the Na'vi Warrior cut me off, this time violently!

Before anyone could stop him, he darted forward and struck me hard in the gut, the blow staggering me and knocking the breath from my body as he got right in my face and yelled, _"You lie! You lie to us, Tawtute! Even worse, why - when we were fighting - did you not fight as well? Why did you not help us, your brothers and sisters, during the battle?"_ Rage-fuelled murmurs and shouts of discontent followed his question, one for which I hadn't an answer. For how _could_ I answer? How could I explain to this warrior - whose culture and civilization was so far removed from my own - of my People, the Protoss, and the somewhat conflicting Oaths I had to follow? The Dae'Uhl, which called upon me to watch over 'lesser' races such as his, and the Oath of the High Templar that _forbade_ me from engaging in martial combat that might help me to better follow the Dae'Uhl.

There were no words in his language that would allow me to explain these Oaths, which I was honor-bound to uphold until death. I didn't have to explain anything, however, for as Meuia snarled and made to strike me again when I didn't reply, two things happened: first, Tsa'hik San'eya moved to support my wounded form; glaring angrily at Meuia she wrapped an arm about my shoulder as I clutched my stomach in pain and alternately fought to catch my breath. Then, before I could say or do anything to stop him, roaring with rage, Lompor descended upon Meuia and - as Clan Tawkami looked on, half in awe, and half in fear - proceeded to kick seven shades of shit out of him! Meuia tried to fight back, he really did, but Lompor wasn't the best Warrior of Tawkami for nothing; with incredible ease, he forced Meuia to his knees!

_"Please, ma Tsmukan!"_the young warrior cried. _"I yield, I yield!"_ Growling softly, for a moment Lompor stared down at the impudent pup who had dared to attack his Olo'eyktan and Karyu, and then, he nodded, acknowledging the younger warrior's submission. _"And well you __should__, you yaymak skxawng!"_ he snapped at the young pup. _"Olo'eyktan Txa'vit did what he could; he bade us to be vigilant for an attack from 'They who could not see', and so we were, but even he did not know that they were preparing to launch an attack from __below__ the land! You should also know that he follows a sacred Oath from his Homeland, Ay'rr, which forbids him from fighting with normal weapons; he can fight only with the nawm'atan of Txra'kon We'er! _

_Since becoming our Olo'eyktan, Txa'vit has done his best to be a good leader to us all; he has done his best to help us in all things, and has shown us nothing but his honor and the kindness of his heart! And you would repay him for the kindness he has shown us... by __attacking__ him? How __dare__ you? Return to your place!"_As Meuia bowed thankfully and then hurried to comply, Lompor cast an icy gaze across the entirety of Clan Tawkami, and then, raising his voice such that the entire Clan could hear him, he continued, _"All of you... __all__ of you should be ashamed of yourselves,"_ he said, softly. None among the Clan dared contradict him, or even speak at all; they had all seen what he had done to Meuia; thus, the reply the Master Warrior received was chagrined looks, and then a universal lowering of heads, followed by the shuffling of many feet.

With the upstart reprimanded, and the rest of the Clan stewing in their chastisement, Lompor heaved a deep sigh, and then turned to where I now sat heavily upon the leather sofa, leaning gently against the supporting body of Tsa'hik San'eya, my eyes closed as she softly stroked my head, running her hands through my hair. _"Ma Olo'eyktan?"_ he asked quietly. _"Are you well?"_ Opening my eyes to look at him, I softly replied, _"I am, ma Tsmukan, and... thank you for protecting me, for fighting him when I could not. Meuia has learned his lesson, of __that__ I am sure; I will not press the matter further, and - as strange as it may seem - I understand the reason for his anger, and why he did what he did._

_I... I blame myself for all of this; if I had only thought to send the pxay tìsrung aytsyokx of Txra'kon We'er out to look below the land earlier, we might have been able to prepare ourselves better or perhaps even prevent the attack that __they__ made upon us."_I lapsed into silence for a moment, and then, sitting up straight - allowing San'eya's hand to fall supportively to my shoulder - I addressed the entire Clan. _"As it is, we can only move forward._ _We must go to where 'they who cannot see' dwell, but we will not go there alone. I shall try to call upon the Pa'li, Kilvan, and Ikran Clans to help us."_ At this, the _Weyrheart_ filled with murmurs of agreement - the Clan was pleased with this choice - and for a moment, I allowed a brief smile to cross my face.

Said smile soon became a frown, however, when another of my people spoke up. _"But how will we journey to where 'they who cannot see' dwell, ma Olo'eyktan?"_ said the _Nantang_ caretaker, Txon'taw. _"We all saw what happened, when __they__ fled! The - what is the word? Tx'un'el? - closed behind them!"_ With a nod of acknowledgement to him, I replied, _"I know, ma tsmukan... and that... that is why we must open it again."_ As those words softly echoed within the cavernous living space of the _Weyrheart_, a tense silence took their place. Said silence was soon broken, however, when Txon'taw - his voice laced with building anger - asked, _"Are you saying that... that we must __violate__ the land __ourselves__? That __we__ must dig a tx'un'el of our own to reach the ones where __they__ dwell?"_

Softly, I uttered prayers first to Adun, and then to Eywa, before answering, _"Srane... but you would not have to do it yourselves! I know that the land of kifkey Eywa'evengä is sacred, and I would not ever ask you to... to wound the Great Mother in this way. But, think of it like this: the Great Mother is __already__ wounded; these foul vrrtep things dwell inside her like a disease that, until now, has not been cured."_ Overwhelmed and tired, I rested my head in my hands for a moment, as another of my Clan spoke out, _"The First Toruk Makto was the cure! He drove them below our land, and then they did not hurt the lands and the People of kifkey Eywa'evengä anymore... until you came!"_

At the end of that statement there came a raucous din of anger and agreement fueled murmurs, until Tsa'hik San'eya - her golden eyes glittering with rage - leapt to her feet and yelled out _"__TIFNU!__ How __DARE__ you blame Olo'eyktan Txa'vit for this! 'They who cannot see' did not just return because of Txa'vit, you yaymak ayskxawng!" _As stunned silence descended upon the Clan, she continued. _"When the First Toruk Makto drove them beneath the land, he did so because they were too strong a foe; it was all he __could__ do - even with the power of the other Clans beside him - and when he did this, 'They who could not see' did not perish! They lived... and they grew. Why is it, do you think, that some young children and animals whom become lost or separated from their parents sometimes disappear, never to be found, no matter how far hunters search?"_

At this, the one who'd spoken out rebuffed the Tsa'hik. _"That has never happened to __us__ before!"_ Noises of anger and affirmation followed. _"Because,"_ San'eya replied, _"in the past, we have been __very__ lucky; Eywa has protected us as best she can! Now... now Txra'kon We'er keeps us safe."_ Strong _affirmation_ from the Dragon Weyr filled my thoughts at that, as San'eya - her golden eyes like hardened chips of ice - continued, _"__They__ are still here, and are still a threat poised to strike at us, the unwary prey. What Toruk Makto did was akin to placing a dressing on an infected wound; at first glance, it seems clean, but still the wound festers within! Now, our Olo'eyktan proposes to open up that wound within our Great Mother Eywa and purge the infection... possibly for good! Am I right, ma Olo'eyktan?"_

Her words seemed to have an effect upon the Clan; the mood of my People again changed from anger to a mixture of excitement and eagerness as they waited to hear the rest of my plan. A smile gracing my features, I nodded to her - heaving an internal sigh of relief - as I replied, _"You are, Tsa'hik. As I was saying... I will attempt to gain the support of the local Clans. Whilst we wait for them to arrive, I will ask Txra'kon We'er to build a great machine that will reopen the tunnel that 'They who cannot see' used to travel here. Whilst this is happening, I will train you all - and the People of the other Clans, if they choose to help us and arrive quickly - in the use of some of Txra'kon We'er's most powerful, and deadly weapons."_

Looking at my people gravely, I continued, _"These weapons are not at all like the bows, spears and axes with which you have been gifted, and the training I shall give you so that you might use them effectively will be very dangerous. Any foolish mistakes could cost you your lives..."_ At my words, many among the Clan looked unsettled but the Warriors and Hunters of Tawkami - Oo'ano and Lompor among them - merely gazed back at me solemnly; they'd heard similar speeches from their _aykaryu_ long, long ago. _"Along with new weapons,"_ I continued, _"I shall build for you suits of 'armor' - fngapä ta'leng for your bodies - which will give you extra protection against whatever we might encounter."_

At this, the Warriors and Hunters of my Clan grinned almost eagerly, whilst the various Craftspeople of my Clan seemed interested and excited at the thought of seeing yet more of the amazing items that could be produced with the aid of the Dragon Weyr's Psi-Forge. _"But what of the females?"_ asked one of the Clan's Healers, a man named Yayo. _"They could be __anywhere__ beneath kifkey Eywa'evengä_! _How do we find and rescue them once we are down there?"_ At his question, I grinned, and then - with a thought - bade the Dragon Weyr form a cloud of its Nanocytes into a small aerospace drone. When said drone appeared before them - upon seeing it for the first time - the adults of the Clan were stunned and amazed for they hadn't ever seen anything like it before.

The children of the Clan, however, looked upon the little drone with near reverence, for they knew it was one of Txra'kon We'er's _O'px'rr'vr'sx;_ one of its _pxay tìfwew aynari, _or 'many searching eyes.' These _ketuwong_ machines were _**very**_ _hiyìk_, because they could not be seen at all with the eyes, and only those children of the Clan with _aytswin_ modified by Txra'kon We'er could sense them; a funny tingling sensation began in their _aytswin_ when they were near. Although quite _hiyìk_ - like the _pxay tìsrung aytsyokx_ - the _pxay_ _tìfwew_ _aynari_ were helpful to the Clan; one or two would often accompany groups of Hunters whilst they tracked their prey during long hunts, and it was also known that many watched over the village and the People, too.

Unfortunately, however, even though they were helpful, the _pxay tìfwew aynari_ were very, very shy and flighty; no matter how much they begged and pleaded, the little machines would not allow the children to see, or even make _Tsaheylu_ with them! Partly because it was curious, and partly because Txra'kon We'er coaxed it gently, as the beautiful and delicate little golden _tawsìp_ moved this way and that way among the assembled Clan - darting away whenever one of the People tried to touch it - little Sìlpey empathized with it, for it seemed especially fearful. The little _ketuwong_ machine had reason to be afraid, Sìlpey thought; it had just been born, and placed among strangers it didn't know, _without_ the powerful _hawnu_ that hid it from sight!

Thus, when it approached and hovered before her - instead of reaching out to try and grab it like others had done - she began to sing to it a soft, soothing lullaby, one that her Sunu had taught her. _"Pamtseol ngop ayrenut; Mì ronsemä tìfnu; Tengfya ngop säftxuyul; Mì hifkey; Awnga rol fte kivame; Kame fte rivol; Rerol tengkr kerä; Ìlä fya'o avol; Ne kxamtseng; Aywayl yìm kifkeyä; 'Ìheyut avomrr; Sìn tireafya'o avol; Na waytelemä hìng; Awnga rol fte kivame; Kame fte rivol; Rerol tengkr kerä; Ìlä fya'o avol; Ne kxamtseng."_ The simple melody - which was called the Tree Song - seemed to soothe the _tìfwew nari_, for as the sound of her voice faded the machine slowed, and then finally settled in her arms whereupon she cradled it gently as it fell asleep, the _eampin atan_ at its front growing dim.

It was such an amazing and beautiful thing, Sìlpey thought, as she gently ran a hand along its side. She was pulled from her musings, however, when she heard the gentle sound of a throat being cleared. Her _sanhì_ glowing brilliantly due to her embarrassment, she looked up... to find that the entire Clan was _staring_ at her, openmouthed! Even the _Tsa'hik_ and _Olo'eyktan_ were looking her way, the former with mild irritation and the latter with a curious smile. Feeling somewhat sheepish, she returned her attention to _Olo'eyktan_ Txa'vit, as he resumed speaking. Struggling to suppress an amused grin, softly, I asked, _"May I resume speaking without being interrupted, please?"_ A unanimous nodding of heads, as well as softly muttered apologies along with more than a few chuckles was the reply I received and so I continued.

Gesturing to the Observer which was currently cradled in Sìlpey's arms in standby, I said, _"To find our females, we will use the pxay aynari of Txra'kon We'er; they will be able to search for them better than we might be able to down there."_ The Healer, Yayo, nodded at this, and then he asked, _"And when we find them? What then?"_ Reaching into a pocket of my robe to withdraw a portable Warp Beacon, I answered, _"Then, I attach one of these to each of the females, and Txra'kon We'er will bring them home."_ At the sight of the Warp Beacon, the entire Clan - especially Lompor - cheered, for they knew what it was; it was the _sä'o_ that made the _nawm'atan_ to always guide them home. _"After that"_ I continued, once the Clan had settled, _"we will __crush__ the enemy! For what they have done to us, we will deliver them __all__ unto the embrace of Eywa!"_


	18. Chapter 18

Disclaimer: _Blah, Blah, Blah. I don't own Avatar; James Cameron does. All the Avatar stuff belongs to him. However, my Na'vi character, myself, the Dragon Weyr and its technologies, and the Pandoran animals of my menagerie are all mine. The Protoss - apart from my characters - all belong to Blizzard Entertainment._

Pandora's Templar

A Work-In-Progress Story by Coranth Dehanae

Chapter 18

(Continued from Chapter 17...)

And that, my friends, was that; with a tremendous, rousing cheer, the Council of War was ended. Roughly two days after the disbanding of said Council, I immediately set the plan for rescuing Tawkami's females in motion by sending a message to the three local Clans in the area - the Ikran, Pa'li, and Kilvan Clans - via the Dragon Weyr's Psionic Communications suite. To my surprise, however, only the Ikran Clan possessed knowledge of what we were facing-and _limited_ knowledge, at that! Still... Upon being told of - and shown, via telepathic imagery - the atrocity that had occurred upon our land, all three Clans were eager to participate in what I had planned and bring the wrath of _Eywa_ to the foe; all agreed to send their best Warriors and Hunters to aid our cause and said Na'vi would try to get here as quickly as they were able.

'Well, that's that off the "to-do" list' I thought, heaving a sigh of relief as I left the Weyr's Psiotransceiver Array. 'But... I wonder why only a single Clan knew about "They who could not see?"' When I questioned _Tsa'hik_ San'eya about this, the reply she gave me filled me with dismay. _"As I said before, ma Olo'eyktan: Eywa only allowed a few select Tsa'hiks the knowledge that 'They who could not see' even existed. That is why so few Clans know about the vrrtep today."_ At this, I cursed aloud the World Mind of Pandora for her sheer stupidity and - to my surprise - instead of calling me on it _Tsa'hik_ San'eya chuckled softly in agreement with me. Upon seeing my surprised expression, she asked me gently, _"Does my agreement with you surprise you, Txa'vit?"_

When I nodded, she continued, _"Txra'kon We'er taught me much whilst I was with him in Tsaheylu, and even the Great Mother can be a skxawng, sometimes..."_ With the message to the local Clans sent, I initiated phases two and three of the plan at once, commanding the Dragon Weyr to begin construction of an enormous TBM - or Tunnel Boring Machine - even as I headed to the great Psi-Forge to begin construction of the advanced weapons and armor with which I would equip my Warriors and Hunters, and those of the local clans when they arrived. Whilst I slaved away at the great forge, the Dragon Weyr, too, kept busy; deploying hordes of Probes to map out the tract of land where digging would commence, even as yet more Probes - assisted via swathes of Nanocytes - began to assemble from golden Psi-Steel the immense Tunnel Boring Machine with a speed that bordered upon terrifying!

When they looked up, and up, and up, and _up_ at the form of the titanic _monstrosity_ as it was swiftly assembled before their eyes, many of the Elders of Clan Tawkami were stunned into silence at the sheer _size_ of the machine, whilst many of the clan's children huddled close to their Mothers, whom were sky-pale with illness and fright, particularly at the size and scope of its enormous cutting head. Even Tsa'hik San'eya appeared to _wither_ when faced with the sheer enormity of the huge _ketuwong fngap_ thing! The Warriors and Hunters of the Clan, however, merely looked upon the machine with expressions of gravity and solemnity. Meanwhile, at the Psi-Forge - with the Dragon Weyr's assistance - I was busily crafting fantastic suits of automated power armor, similar to that worm by Zealots of the Protoss Empire, but appropriately sized, and shaped for the Na'vi.

Forged of thousand-layer Psi-Steel plated diamond lattice mesh, equipped with powerful Psionic Energy Shields, and possessing full life support capability as well as full NBC shielding, the suits were works of _art_; all were superbly crafted, and vividly decorated to resemble some of the most deadly animals from Pandora and Earth; Nantang, Ikran, Fa'li, Palulukan; Tiger, Panther, Bear, Spider, Cobra, and Crocodile. Even creatures of fantasy and myth went into the design of some suits; Turok, Hydra; Cerberus, and Wyvern, and other horrors that would leave 'They who could not see' with fuel for nightmares that would last them for years! The final suit of armor to be crafted upon the great Psi-Forge was my own, the outer form of which resembled a _female_ anthropomorphic Kirathian Dragon, as homage to my love, Ieesha.

When I placed the armor's Death Mask upon my head and her golden, two-winged, midnight-blue eyed form glared back at me from the mirror with teeth barred in a snarl a _chill_ thickly filled the air as a sense of _approval_ seemed to wash over me; a feeling that _wasn't_ from the Dragon Weyr... In an instant, I spread the armor's golden psi-steel wings, and bowed low in a gesture of the utmost respect! "Thank you, my love. I... I'll try to do you proud..." I murmured, my eyes misting over with tears. As I removed the Mask from my face and placed it on a workbench, just for a moment the horrible _void_ in my head was banished; I could _feel_ Ieesha behind me - her reptilian feelings of _acknowledgement_ and _understanding_ flowing through the bond we shared - as she leaned her great head forward to nuzzle my cheek, her soft breath moving through my hair. ~I know you will, David~ she replied.

A quiet gasp escaping me I turned swiftly to face her, overjoyed... but she was not there; I was, once more, _alone_, with only the horrible _void_ in my head as a constant reminder of what once had been. "What... what _was_ that?" I queried of the Dragon Weyr. "What just happened? I thought... I thought I felt..." Deep _concern_ and _sympathy_ from the great Nexus filled my thoughts as it searched and sifted through its many, _many_ sensor logs, and then finally - via psychic data burst - sent me a log from its Gestalt Sensory Network. Said log was filled with technical data encompassing presence levels, field flows, pattern strengths, and other technical jargon of which I couldn't make sense at all, but the gist of it read that - for but a fleeting moment - an _immensely_ powerful psionic entity had manifested itself within the Dragon Weyr!

Whatever this entity was, it had utterly _bypassed_ the Gestalt Defenses; psionic defense systems designed to keep such entities _out_ of the Weyr and prevent them from manifesting within or near it, such that they could not threaten the mind of the great Nexus or the minds of those within! In fact, the Gestalt Defenses hadn't even activated, at _all,_ because the entity appeared to be a _recognized_ and _registered_ presence... "Ieesha?" I whispered. "Are you... are you still here? Somewhere?" The only answer I received to my hushed question, however, was silence. Eventually, I shook my head and then, as I headed out of the Psi-Forge - dabbing gently at my eyes with a tissue - I thought, 'No, she's been dead for a long, long time now; whatever that was, it _couldn't_ have been her...'

For a time I dwelled upon the eerie supernatural experience - I wondered whether Ieesha truly _had_ died back in that Xel'Naga Temple oh so long ago - but one day later, all thoughts of it were stricken from my mind. That day, during one of my regular Walkabouts of the Homestead - as I critically inspected my Clan's many Warriors and Hunters whilst their Elders put them through their paces, and then ran an eye over the TBM, which was more than half-complete - I was hit with a psychic 'ping' of _warning_ from the Dragon Weyr. Moments later, a Tawkami Scout named Nìwin charged towards me, crying out _"Olo'eyktan! Ma Olo'eyktan!"_ Then, he stopped before me, doubling over as he fought to catch his breath!


	19. Chapter 19

Disclaimer: _Blah, Blah, Blah. I don't own Avatar; James Cameron does. All the Avatar stuff belongs to him. However, my Na'vi character, myself, the Dragon Weyr and its technologies, and the Pandoran animals of my menagerie are all mine. The Protoss - apart from my characters - all belong to Blizzard Entertainment._

Pandora's Templar

A Work-In-Progress Story by Coranth Dehanae

Chapter 19

(Continued from Chapter 18...)

As I waited for him to collect himself, I softly intoned, _"Lu Mawey, ma tsmukan, lu mawey! Whatever is the matter?"_ Once Nìwin managed to calm and collect himself, he swiftly answered, _"Aymakto, Olo'eyktan! Ikran and Pa'li Aymakto approach from the North, East, and South!" _At this a surge of _happiness_ from the Dragon Weyr filled my thoughts, bringing a smile to my face. 'All right,' I thought, happily, 'it's the Warriors and Hunters from the _Pa'li, Ikran,_ and _Kilvan_ Clans, I'll bet; they're finally here!' The great construct's _confirmation_ of my guess was all I needed to know that it was accurate and true. My voice laced with excitement, I spoke swiftly to Nìwin. _"Nìwin, ma Tsmukan"_ I said, _"you need not fear for the safety of the Clan; in fact, tell our people that the riders are to be welcomed with open arms! _

_It is the Warriors and Hunters of the Pa'li, Ikran, and Kilvan Clans, come to lend us their aid against 'They who cannot see!'_" At this, Nìwin's eyes widened with excitement. _"You-you mean...?"_ he stuttered. Grinning, I clapped a hand upon his shoulder, a chuckle escaping me as I replied, _"Srane, the time when we launch an attack against the Enemy is nearly at hand. Now rutxe, go and let our people know that our guests are to be made welcome!"_ An almost savage glee suffusing him, with a nod of his head, Nìwin grinned and replied, _"Srane, Olo'eyktan,"_ before racing away to do as I had instructed. As always, my Clan was happy to see their brethren, but the happiness shared by the four united Clans was tempered by the loss of Tawkami's females, the looming threat of war, and the terrifying sight of the huge _fngap kelku __thing_ being built upon the land outside.

After the traditional welcoming feast - during which news and gossip were shared and much food was heartily consumed - all fell silent as I swiftly brought our guests up to speed with the Plan. Needless to say, all were anxious to view and learn to use the new armor and weapons with which I would gift them to vanquish the foe. Upon seeing the incredible suits of animal-shaped armor for the first time, needless to say, the united Clans were stunned and amazed at what they beheld! _"These fngapä ta'leng are __incredible__, Olo'eyktan Txa'vit!"_ gushed Kìng, son of Täftxu - a Craftsman of the Pa'li Clan - as he inspected one of the powerful suits, which had been shaped to resemble a massive grizzly bear.

_"Our own Craftsmen could never conceive of building something like this! Such strength it has... And the detail; it looks so lifelike! How did you make it in such a short time?"_Feelings of _embarrassment_ and _flattery_ filled my thoughts from the Dragon Weyr at the praise, and with a bashful smile, I softly answered, _"Well, I... I had a lot of help from Txra'kon We'er..."_ Kìng let out a jovial, hearty laugh as he replied, _"I am sure you did!" _During the following days - as the Dragon Weyr raced to complete the Tunnel Boring Machine in record time - I instructed the Warriors and Hunters of the United Clans in the wearing and use of their armors, and also passed out to them weapons the likes of which they had never before conceived.

For the Warriors whom specialized in Melee Combat, to their armor I attached special Forearm Units capable of channeling psionic energy and manifesting it as deadly blades. Since the Na'vi were not psychic - and thus did not possess the energies to manifest the blades themselves - said blades were created via special, psychically charged Khaydarin Crystal Cores situated within the Forearm Units, and the Units themselves were operable by a simple wrist movement. To manifest the deadly psionic blades, all a Warrior needed to do was flick his wrist and they could be used for _years_ if necessary, without needing to be recharged. As backup, they still possessed their ancient or 'modern' traditional weapons.

The Hunters whom specialized in the use of bows, slings, and other methods of ranged combat, were given shoulder mounted Photon Cannons; deadly weapons that 'tracked' with the movement of a hunter's head, and launched devastating bolts of anti-particles sheathed in a psychically charged field. Additionally, I also equipped them with backup weapons; handheld Photon Guns - similar to the larger variants fitted to Protoss Scout vessels - which manifested and fired psionic energy as bullets of 'hard' light. I even gifted _Tsa'hik_ San'eya with a powerful and deadly, yet elegant weapon; a powerful Protoss _Sýs'scál'tár_ - or Double-Bladed Psi-Staff - a long, golden Psi-Steel pole able to manifest deadly psionic blades at each end!

With the weapons given - as the time of battle drew closer - to prepare them for anything we might encounter down there, via the Dragon Weyr's Psiodeck, I ran the united Clans through a gamut of training simulations. These included weapon use and maintenance, mock skirmishes and battles against 'They who could not see,' fighting in the dark, and combat in small, cramped spaces. You must understand dear readers that though I did not _abuse_ the Clans with these missions - and always took care to look after their health and safety - the training I put them through was hard, and brutal; many of the younger Warriors and Hunters washed out.

The Elders and veterans of the united Clans, however, seemed to _relish_ each new challenge I put them through, none more so than Lompor - whom roared with savage glee, bathing in the blood of his foes as he hacked and chopped them apart with his new _fngap atan aytstal_ - and Master Hunter Oo'ano whom became little more than _shadow_ before he appeared from the darkness with shark-like grin to annihilate his prey with devastating bolts from his new handheld and shoulder mounted _atan aytsko!_ All in all, roughly sixty percent of the Warriors and Hunters passed the brutal training regimen - they would be included in the mission we would undertake - but the remaining forty percent could still be of great use.

I would assign twenty percent to guard the village of Tawkami whilst the other twenty percent watched over the entrance made by the TBM, to strike against any horror that might break through it when we departed for the depths beneath Pandora. Finally, the day came when, at last, the TBM was complete. Warriors and Hunters donned their armor, checked their weapons and packed miscellany - such as medical supplies, spare arrows and nikt'chey packs - into storage compartments before spending some time to bid their beloved Lifemates goodbye. Then, all whom would be travelling with me on this journey into the dark began to board the enormous Tunnel Boring Machine. Tsa'hik San'eya, Lompor, and I were the last to board.

As the two Na'vi swiftly strode to the Command Center of the TBM - situated in a thickly armored bunker-like room behind the machine's enormous cutting head - I stood at the top of the ramp, at the door leading inwards, and gazed solemnly back at those Na'vi whom had not passed the training. Ten had already moved to their assigned positions at the Village, and the rest would soon follow suit and move to guard the entrance left by our departure. Standing there resplendent in my golden armor - minus the helm, which was folded away - I looked down at the remaining people of my Clan and their kin, as they all gazed back at me, their faces set with expressions of solemnity.

Then, for a moment there was silence - not a sound, save for the world that continued to live around us - until finally, I began to speak. _"Ma Olo',"_ I intoned softly. _"We go now to rescue our sisters whom have been taken by 'They who cannot see.' I do not know how long we will be gone, at all, or even if we will return. I also do not know, now, whether our females are even still alive; they may or they may not be. I can promise you all, however, that - no matter their condition, whether living or dead, we __will__ bring them home! We__will __bring them home, and when they are safe, we will utterly destroy they who cannot see, forever!"_ As my speech ended, for a moment I manifested my power into my eyes - making them glow with the nawm'atan of Txra'kon We'er - as I shouted _**"EYWA NGAHU!"**_

At this, the Clan burst into a rousing cheer, whooping and hollering, before as one they responded _**"WE'ER NGAHU!"**_ Allowing a brief smile to cross my face, I dispelled my power, and then - like a Train Conductor of old, made the final call for boarding. _"All aboard!"_ When no last stragglers came, I bowed deeply to the Na'vi assembled outside... and then - as the ramp leading into the TBM began to rise - I swiftly turned and made my way to the great machine's Command Center. Upon arriving there, I made my way over to the reinforced leather couch at the center of the room and slumped down into it, between Lompor and San'eya, with a pensive sigh.

Upon hearing the sound, my Clan's Tsa'hik of _Eywa_ placed a hand upon my shoulder. _"What troubles you, Txa'vit?"_ she asked softly in her native tongue. I did not answer her question at first; instead, I rested my head in my hands for a moment, content to listen to the silence, a silence only broken by the near-inaudible hum of the TBM's electrical and psionic circuitry. Then, finally, raising my head and turning to look at her, I answered, _"I hate this! I know how far we have to go down, and everything has gone according to plan so far... but, I hate having to wound the Great Mother this way! _

_Damn it... if Tsa'hik Mo'at of the Omatikaya was here right now, she'd __kill__ us for what we're about to do! And what about those we've left behind? What if they should be attacked whilst we are gone? What if...?" _Tsa'hik Sen'aya raised a hand for silence, and when I complied, she responded, _"Ma Olo'eyktan, lu mawey, lu mawey. Allow me to ease your burdens."_ When I nodded in assent, she continued,_"As you said to the Clan at the War Council, the Great Mother is __already__ wounded, and we go to purge the infection. Tsa'hik Mo'at... is not here, and is not your Tsa'hik; I am, and so is Txe'lan. _

_Thus, you should think of us and __our __opinions on this matter, not hers. I believe that what you have planned is a good thing, Txa'vit, and Txe'lan - if she were here - would agree with me, I am sure. As for those left behind..." _Sen'aya heaved a weary sigh, then, as she gave me a solemn look. _"... You have prepared them as best you are able; you have equipped them with the best weapons, and trained them as they have never been trained before! Even though they failed the training for this mission, they still learned well how to use the new weapons and armor you gave them, and they will put what they have learned to good use when guarding our homes, women, and children. If they are attacked, then they are attacked... but," _she grinned ferally, _"they will __not__ fall easily!"_

At this, Lompor and I matched her feral expression with our own wicked grins, before he pumped his fist in the air, whilst I replied, "Aye, you got that right! Well... what are we waiting for; let's get this show on the road!" Then, turning to the enormous, triple Holoscreen which allowed us a view outside, I softly spoke a question in Khalani. _"My friend, are you with us?" _Unlike the majority of the machines built by the Dragon Weyr - which were truly alive and sentient - the Tunnel Boring Machine was in fact a true robotic construct. It was merely an extension of the Dragon Weyr, a drone into which the Nexus had _shifted_ part of its vast consciousness.

Thus, at my question - as the machine's many systems came out of standby to a state of half power - a mixture of the Weyr's _affirmation, affection, _and _alertness_ filled my thoughts, making me smile briefly. Seconds later, however, the smile vanished from my face, as I loudly barked in Khalani, _"Begin... dig!"_ Outside, the Tunnel Boring Machine, at their newly assigned posts within the Tawkami _thípi_ village, those Na'vi whom were to guard it against threats watched, unmoving, and with stone-like expressions as the titanic _ketuwong_ machine came to life. Even as the _nawm_ machine's _fngap_ _tstal_ _re'o_ began to spin, even as the _hiyìk_ _ioang_ reared up on its segmented body like an _eltungawng_ about to strike its victim and even when its _fngap_ _re'o_ struck the _atxkxe_ of _nawm Sa'nok Eywa_ as it began to burrow swiftly inside her, the newly trained Elite Guard of the United Clans showed no fear.

Awe and wonder carefully schooled and controlled, yes, but no fear. The training bestowed on them by the _Tawtute Olo'eyktan_ of Clan Tawkami, _Txa'vit_, had burned away _that_ weakness from them long ago. Now, through new _aynari_, they saw everything with a preternatural calm that would unnerve most 'traditional' Na'vi. Although they had failed the training for the harrowing mission within _Sa'nok Eywa, Olo'eyktan Txa'vit_ had not been angry with them, at all; he had gazed not at them but at somewhere very, very far away, his face filled with a soul-deep sadness. After the _ngäzìk_ training in the _hì'i tìvawm_ proved to be too much for them, when they broke down, weeping and begging and pleading to be let outside from the _swotu oe unil_, the _hyik Olo'eyktan_ had embraced each failed male and female as if they were all his Clan!

He had understood _why_ they had failed, and he had said that they could still serve. Although they had failed the _ngäzìk tìvawm_ training, they had still learned how to use their new _ketuwong_ _fngap_ _aytstal_ and _aytsko_ with devastating skill, and they would _not_ fail him in this! Failure was to suffer another attack at the savage, _vrrtep_ teeth and claws of 'they who could not see.' The Elite Guard knew duty, they knew honor, and they knew loyalty! Therefore, they would protect the Village and _Kelku_ of the odd _Tawtute_ and his Clan... and if they could not do so then they would gladly die in the attempt! Meanwhile, back inside the Tunnel Boring Machine - as it began to descend, and the triple Holoscreen changed to a view from its external cameras of the material its cutting head was boring through - Lompor turned to me. _"What now, ma Olo'eyktan?"_ he asked.

_"Now ma Tsmukan comes the hard part: we wait." _I answered. _"According to the pxay tìsrung aytsyokx of Txra'kon We'er, one of __their__ tunnels rests some 420 kilometers below us. I am not sure of what will happen when we hit it, but, I have a feeling we'll __know__ when we do..."_ My reply did not please Lompor in the slightest. He threw up his hands - a pensive sigh escaping him - before he gazed at the view outside, a scowl crossing his face as he replied, _"Wait? That is all we can do? Wait?"_ Sensing his agitation, I softly patted his shoulder. 'I know how you feel. This is the part that really sucks...' I thought. Aloud I said, _"This great machine has all of the luxuries of Txra'kon We'er, ma Tsmukan. Additionally, since it __is__ a machine, it will never tire; thus, our journey to where we are going will not take long. Feel free to spar with one of the other Warriors, or exercise in the swotu oe unil. We will not need to wait long..."_


	20. Chapter 20

Disclaimer: _Blah, Blah, Blah. I don't own Avatar; James Cameron does. All the Avatar stuff belongs to him. However, my Na'vi character, myself, the Dragon Weyr and its technologies, and the Pandoran animals of my menagerie are all mine. The Protoss - apart from my characters - all belong to Blizzard Entertainment._

Pandora's Templar

A Work-In-Progress Story by Coranth Dehanae

Chapter 20

(Continued from Chapter 19...)

My statement would prove true, and in the worst possible way. The Weyr-consciousness operated Tunnel Boring Machine moved with terrific, tireless, inhuman speed, until - roughly four days later, when we were about 419 kilometers down - we _hit_ something, and when I say we hit something I mean we _really_ hit it; with a tremendous crunching-grinding-sloshing noise the great TBM _stalled_, and then I was startled awake by the combined sounds of a horrified scream from Tsa'hik San'eya, and a cry of pure terror from Lompor. The combined sound startled me so badly, in fact, that I actually _fell out of the cot_ in which I had previously been sleeping - a small, spartan thing tucked away in a darkened, secluded corner of the Command Center - but almost immediately, a pair of immensely strong Na'vi hands helped me to my feet.

'What... Lompor? What the-...?' The thoughts running through my head were muzzy and unclear and for a moment, all I could do was stand there, staring at him stupidly, blinking with eyes clogged with the grit of sleep. Moments later, however, the grogginess of sleep began to lift, enough such that I could form vaguely coherent questions. "Whadizzit? Whas goin' on? Wha'd we... wha'd we hit?" I asked him as he released me. It was not he whom answered my question, but San'eya. Swallowing hard she motioned for me to look at the triple-Holoscreen and see for myself. She wasn't in the mood for questions. Blood had drained from her face, leaving it sky-pale; a reaction I'd seen only once before from her, during the time I had told her of my terrible visions of 'They Who Could Not See.'

Gently pushing past her and Lompor, I gazed at the Holoscreen... and then, my grogginess disappeared in a rush as horror gripped my guts. As a child, I'd seen a painting in a museum that had almost given me nightmares. I hadn't thought of it in years; but now, it came back to me with terrible clarity. There, depicted upon the Holoscreen were _faces,_ _Na'vi faces_ - hundreds of them - each an island of flesh amidst an ocean of blood. Each one bore a horrified, tortured expression; each one was a soul forever damned by 'They Who Could Not See.' "What the hell...? What the fuck is that?" I murmured softly. Having moved to sit beside me, Tsa'hik San'eya - who was now resting her head in her hands - softly murmured, _"Aywiya Vitra Txampay..."_ before falling silent. At this, a shiver coursed through my body.

'The Sea of Damned Souls' I thought, automatically translating her reply in my head, 'how... appropriate.' Another shiver coursed through me, then, as I thanked the Dragon Weyr profusely for the fact that the Holoscreens installed in the quarters of each Warrior and Hunter aboard the TBM were for entertainment only; they could be used to view anything _but_ this! A moment later, however, I glared at the great Holoscreen, my eyes becoming little more than cold, hard chips of ice. 'We have to push through!' I thought. 'There's got to be something more than this shit!' Aloud, in Khalani, I said, _"My friend, are you still with us?"_ Seconds later, through the psychic bond I shared with the Dragon Weyr I felt the great construct's _affirmation_, and _annoyance_.

_"Pull back, purge systems, shield up!"_ I barked, but the sharp command was not needed, for the great Nexus was already doing so; upon one of the Holoscreens, a picture-in-picture view appeared, showing an external view of the TBM as - with a great 'whoosh' - gallons and _gallons_ of blood and filth were violently purged from between the segmented joints of the great machine's snakelike body by its maintenance systems! Moments after the filth ceased to flow - and before more of it could enter - a thick, shimmering, cerulean shield of psionic energy snapped into place about the body of the Tunnel Boring Machine. With a slowly building whine, the machine's great cutting head began to spin once more - this time in reverse - to fling away any stuck filth still clinging to the blades, as the great machine itself backed off a little.

Then a moment later, the low whine began to increase in pitch as the cutting head started spinning once more in a forward motion, this time at almost five times its speed! _"Issah'tu!"_ I barked to San'eya and Lompor, the Khalani equivalent of _"A-ten-hut!",_ and as one they quashed their fear and snapped to attention, moving to stand beside me, their faces grim. _"What now, ma Olo'eyktan?"_ asked Lompor, staring out at the Sea of Damned Souls. _"Behold!"_ I crowed to him and San'eya, gesturing to the picture-in-picture view to draw their attention to it. _"Look at how the atan of Txra'kon We'er protects the great machine! Not even the souls damned by 'They Who Cannot See' can stop us! We will push through!"_

I will admit dear readers that I sounded somewhat like an evangelist. I will also state to you that, at first, my Na'vi companions were unsure of what they were looking at. But then, as they heard my words and saw the body of the machine surrounded by its protective shield - a shield that flared with brilliant cerulean light as it _repelled_ the _Aywiya Vitra Txampay_, hope and courage welled within their hearts! With vigor that belied her age, Tsa'hik San'eya leaped into the air - almost hitting the ceiling of the TBM's Command Center - as she whooped, cheered and cackled with glee, whilst Lompor clapped a mighty hand down upon my shoulder, almost causing me to fall to the floor, as he roared, _"Forward, ma Olo'eyktan! Forward!"_ An almost feral grin splitting my features, I gave the word to the Dragon Weyr... and the Dragon Weyr, happily, complied.

With a mechanical, almost _Ikran_-like shriek courtesy of its cutting head, the mighty TBM surged forwards, powering swiftly through the _Aywiya Vitra Txampay_, even as it churned said ocean into a foaming, bloody-pink froth! Whilst Tsa'hik San'eya gazed vividly at the Holoscreen, over the noise of the rapidly turning cutting head, Lompor shouted, _"Once we have journeyed through Aywiya Vitra Txampay, what then?"_ Swiftly examining the visual, telemetry and radar data from the TBM's sensor suites - via a manual control panel, the Holoscreen, and various psychic linkages - I answered, _"According to the machine's pxay aynari, one of __their__ tunnels is directly below us; we will hit the bottom of Aywiya Vitra Txampay, and then break through into it, our final destination."_

Lompor nodded thoughtfully, and then he responded, _"And after that, then what?"_ At this, I shook my head, before shrugging my shoulders and replying, _"I... I don't know, ma Tsmukan; the pxay tìsrung aytsyokx of Txra'kon We'er could not see any further past Aywiya Vitra Txampay - all I know is that there is a tunnel below, leading further downward."_ At this, Lompor's eyes widened. _"How deep do 'They Who Cannot See' dwell within our Nawm Sa'nok Eywa?"_ he asked. _"I am unsure,"_ I replied. _"Because Txra'kon We'er's tìsrung aytsyokx could not search down here, we will not have any ma'pxs; pictures that tell us clearly where this tunnel of theirs will lead. _

_This is why I said, at the War Council, that we would need Txra'kon We'er's pxay tìfwew aynari; they will be able to create a ma'px for us as we journey, so that we may find our way back to the Tunneling Machine when the females have been rescued and 'They Who Cannot See' have been destroyed."_ At this, Lompor grinned viciously, but then, a moment later, a thought struck him and he turned to me, his face drawn with concern. _"Ma Olo'eyktan"_ he began, _"you said that a tx'un'el of __theirs__ lies below Aywiya Vitra Txampay, and that this fngap machine of Txra'kon We'er must break through the ocean floor to reach the tunnel. If we do this, the filth of the Aywiya Vitra Txampay will fill the tunnel, and the tunnel will flood!"_

At this, Tsa'hik San'eya gasped softly, her eyes widening with fright, but with a shake of my head, I raised my hands in a placating gesture as I replied, _"Mawey, ma Olo', lu mawey! Not if I have the machine seal the tunnel breach behind us! That will stop the Aywiya Vitra Txampay from flooding the tunnel, which means our Tsampongu will be able to disembark safely." _Lompor gave an approving nod. _"And when we leave?"_ he asked. With a smile, I answered, _"When we leave, I will have the Tunneling Machine unseal the breach, so that Txra'kon We'er can bring us home."_ Slyly, I continued,_"Of course, the tunnel will flood, but by the time it does..."_

_"...we will all be back inside the machine, and on our way home!"_ Lompor concluded with a chuckle, as he caught on to what I was thinking. _"Ha! They Who Cannot See will get a nasty surprise when their aykelku are flooded by the very Txampay that they created!"_ Grinning, I replied, _"Exactly, ma Tsmukan!"_ With that said, Lompor and I lapsed into a comfortable silence, as we moved back to recline upon the reinforced leather sofa in front of the triple-Holoscreen. A short while later, Tsa'hik San'eya joined us and then - as the Tunnel Boring Machine continued to weave its way through the Sea of Damned Souls - she and I fell into a light sleep, leaning against each other, whilst Lompor continued to work on a Dream Catcher for his beloved.

Things were comfortable now... but they wouldn't stay that way for long... A day later - with yet another tremendous crunching-grinding-sloshing noise, a terrible wet sucking sound, and a mechanical whirring shriek of blades that almost sounded like a cry of triumph - the mighty Tunnel Boring Machine carved its way through the floor of the Sea of Damned Souls and then slithered wetly into the pressing, inky darkness of a new tunnel. Moments later, a 'ping' of alertness from the Dragon Weyr drew me from my examination of the manual control console. _"Ah, good"_ I said quietly, _"we're here..."_

Upon hearing my quiet exclamation, Lompor practically leaped from the sofa. _"We have arrived?"_ he asked. In response to his question, I queried the Dragon Weyr to make sure we had indeed arrived at the correct destination, and when its strong _affirmation_ filled my thoughts, I nodded. _"We have"_ I answered. _"I am going to go out into the tunnel and check the seal that holds back the Aywiya Vitra Txampay; when I am sure that it is safe, I will call you and the rest of our Tsampongu so that we can begin the rescue mission. In the meantime, please return to your quarters, ma Tsmukan; give your weapons and armor a final check."_ With a curt nod of his head, Lompor went to do as I had asked, and once he had gone, I turned to San'eya.

_"You should return to your quarters, and prepare yourself, too. As I told Lompor, when I am sure that it is safe to do so, I will call you and the rest of our Tsampongu. Okay?"_ With a softly uttered _"Srane, ma Olo'eyktan,"_ Tsa'hik San'eya bowed gently to me, and then - as she made her way to her quarters to don the armor I had made for her - I headed out of the TBM's Command Center and then made my way through its segmented body until I reached the middle of the great machine, whereupon I made my way over to one of its enormous docking ramps. As I approached the ramp, however, I was suddenly hit with a feeling of _warning_ from the Dragon Weyr, followed by a manipulated vision...

_Choking and suffocating, I struggled to breathe, but I could not; The air was unbreathable; thick, sticky, odious - like hot jelly in which all movements became difficult - for 'They Who Could Not See' had made it fetid and foul with the odor of their corruption..._ When the vision faded, as I stood there before the retracted docking ramp, I shivered. "Is the air really that bad?" I murmured, in English. The great construct's _affirmation_ filled my thoughts, along with a brief summary of a report from the TBM's atmospheric monitoring suites: the air truly _was_ that bad; thick with all-manner of toxins and decay so foul that - if I were to accidentally inhale it - even my Nanocyte Filter wouldn't be able to purge it from my lungs; only the environmentally compensating life-support systems of my battle armor would be able to protect me for any length of time.

"Very well, then" I replied with a nod, "I'm going out to check the tunnel breach seal. When I'm sure it's safe, I'll deploy the Observers, and then call out the War Party... followed lastly by our _present_ for the enemy. Before you lower the TBM's docking ramps so the War Party can disembark, can you employ a minor compulsion to ensure they wear their helms? Since the group all passed the training, they should know and remember to wear them when entering hostile environs, but just in case anyone forgets, please _compel_ them all to do so, okay?" A mixture of _negation _and _neutrality_ filled my thoughts, then, and I heaved a weary sigh. "I know, my friend, I know... I loathe having you do this, since it's a minor form of mind control and it crosses lines we shouldn't cross, but it's a necessary evil; better I have you do this, than lose good people to the rotten air out there because someone hasn't got their helmet on!"

For a moment, through the powerful psychic bond I shared with the Dragon Weyr I felt nothing; within my mind there was only thought silence, and the horrible _void_ in my head that was the remnant of my severed bond with Ieesha. Then, at last, a feeling of _affirmation_ filled my thoughts; the Dragon Weyr would do as I had asked. At this - as I touched a small glyph-inscribed stud at the upper neck of my armor to don its Death Mask, and then lowered the TBM's docking ramp with a mental command - a sigh of relief escaped me, before I softly uttered, "Thank you, my friend." As the Dragon Weyr's reply of _welcome_ filled my thoughts, I passed through the exit, then tentatively took a few steps onto the lowered docking ramp and carefully surveyed the area.

After a very short distance, the light from the brightly lit interior of the TBM faded to almost total darkness; fluorescent lichen was the most meager of light sources, letting me see nothing within the inky, fetid gloom but menacing, illusionary shadows. Without thinking, I activated the Night Vision function of my armor's mask - it would electronically amplify any available ambient light, giving me vision here equivalent to daylight hours on the surface - but then, as the tunnel was lit up, I wished I _hadn't_ activated the function, at all! When the tunnel lit up, what appeared before my eyes, dear readers were stark, white, ribbed, almost organic-appearing walls that dripped with thick, viscous slime.

'Oh, yuck...' I thought to myself, and then - after carefully looking about to make sure any of 'They Who Could Not See' weren't lurking anywhere and that nothing was amiss - I swiftly walked down the docking ramp, before making my way to the back end of the TBM. There, I stopped and looked up. Above me, embedded within the ceiling of the tunnel, was a gargantuan, Nanocyte crafted psi-steel cap - the seal that held back the Sea of Damned Souls - which I had told San'eya and Lompor that I was going to check. Via the Visual Magnification function of my Death Mask, I 'zoomed' my view such that I could properly inspect the seal. The titanic seal appeared to be holding well indeed - only the barest few drops of the Sea of Damned Souls were managing to escape - but still, I wanted a second opinion.

"What do you think, my friend?" I asked softly. _Concentration _filled my thoughts, then, as through the many cameras and sensor suites of the TBM, as well as my own eyes, the Dragon Weyr carefully scrutinized the great seal. "Well" I asked softly, "will it hold, do you reckon?" A few moments after I had asked the question, a mixture of _satisfaction, happiness,_ and _apprehension_ filled my thoughts; the Dragon Weyr was sure that the seal would hold, but would monitor it, for safety's sake. At this, I heaved a huge sigh of relief, before I replied, "Good! Very good! Well... let's rock and roll!" With those words, I made my way to the front of the Tunnel Boring Machine and then - turning to face its enormous cutting head - I issued a powerful psychic call. _~Observers, Fall... IN!~_


	21. Chapter 21

Disclaimer: _Blah, Blah, Blah. I don't own Avatar; James Cameron does. All the Avatar stuff belongs to him. However, my Na'vi character, myself, the Dragon Weyr and its technologies, and the Pandoran animals of my menagerie are all mine. The Protoss - apart from my characters - all belong to Blizzard Entertainment._

Pandora's Templar

A Work-In-Progress Story by Coranth Dehanae

Chapter 21

(Continued from Chapter 20...)

At my call a pair of small hatches situated at the front of the Tunnel Boring Machine opened to release a pair of Protoss Observers. The small aerospace drones, their permanent cloaking fields already active, paused for a moment, whereupon they looked about the area - turning first to the left, and then to the right - before they zipped over to me and then stopped to hover attentively before me, waiting. The fact that they were cloaked didn't bother me, at all; the eyes of my armor's Death Mask granted me the ability to perceive concealed objects, plus I could _feel_ their robotic minds with my psychic senses. "Do you see the tunnel that continues in front of the TBM?" I asked one of them.

The Observer to whom I had directed the question dipped tightly once before righting itself - the equivalent of an affirmative nod - whilst the second Observer rolled lazily before me in the air, its non-vocal reply the equivalent of a slacker teen nonchalantly replying, "Well, duh!" I allowed a brief smile to cross my face at their antics, before I gazed at them solemnly as I said, "That tunnel leads downward somewhere. I need you two to scout it out for me; fly along it until you find where it exits. Can you do that for me?" The first Observer dipped tightly again, righted itself, and then rolled once in the air, blinking the blue-green light at its front - as if nodding and then saluting me - but the second Observer's reply was a sloppy dip in the air before it turned away from me; as if the machine were rudely saying, "Yeah, yeah, whatever..."

Upon seeing this display of disrespect towards me by its comrade, the first Observer emitted a loud series of angry tones and then fiercely _bumped_ the second! The second Observer wasn't amused by this, at all; with the hissing sound of warm air escaping from a cooling vent, it turned and made to _ram_ its comrade... but then, I swiftly stepped between the two. "Hey!" I cried, grabbing them both and pulling them about to face me. "That's enough, guys! That's enough, okay? We're on a critical rescue mission here; there's no time for games! Can you _please_ do as I have asked?" Upon hearing my words and the tone of my voice, the two little machines lowered their front ends slightly - like two children chastised for their actions - before they both 'nodded' and then turned to zoom off down the tunnel.

A short while later, the two Observers returned, but as they flew back to me I soon realized that something was very, _very_ wrong, for they were moving far too quickly and - when they halted before me - only one of them, the attentive 'loyal' one, made to approach me. The other one, the 'slacker' stayed a fair distance away from me, only approaching me - with great reluctance, I noted - when I made a 'coaxing' motion with a hand. "Hey, what's wrong?" I asked softly. "What's the matter, guys?" At my question, the 'loyal' Observer whom, I noticed, was visibly shaking, began to chatter at me in Binaric - a series of high-pitched, _frightened_ Morse-like tones - and then flew into my arms whereupon it cuddled close to me.

Without hesitation, I rocked the terrified machine gently in my arms - as if it were a human baby - murmuring softly to it in Khalani as I did so. I wasn't as good as Sìlpey when it came to things like this, but still, my actions seemed to have an effect; the little machine visibly calmed, its tremors ceasing as it went into standby. As I continued to hold the little suspended machine in my arms - occasionally running a hand over its body - I raised my head to look at the second Observer, the 'slacker', but it was a 'slacker' no longer; it floated stoically before me, occasionally dipping its 'head' to peer at its companion. The machine's body language bespoke of great worry and concern.

"What... what _happened_ in there?" I asked, gesturing to the tunnel that both Observers had scouted. "What did you see?" The little machine backed off a bit, and then gently twisted left-to-right, effectively 'shaking its head.' 'Odd...' I thought. Aloud, I asked, "You can't tell me?" The Observer responded to my question by again twisting its golden psi-steel body left-to-right. "You don't _want_ to tell me?" I guessed. Upon hearing my question, as it continued to hover before me in the air, the machine dipped swiftly, twice, before righting itself; the equivalent of a frantic nod. 'Damn it...' I thought, my face twisting into a grimace, 'whatever they saw in that tunnel must have scared the shit out of them! My friend, can you talk to this little guy, and try and find out what he saw?'

_Affirmation_ filled my thoughts, followed immediately by _concentration_ as the Dragon Weyr queried the Observer. For a moment, the light at the Observer's front flickered visibly as it communicated with the Dragon Weyr, and then sent a databurst to the Computer System of my armor. A moment later, the little machine _shivered_ visibly... and then, in horror, I watched as it attempted to _overload itself_ by draining its power core to send a massive discharge of energy through its critical systems! Immediately, the Dragon Weyr broadcast to the Observer an auto override / standby command, but said command was a nanosecond too late; the Observer hung before me effectively _brain-dead_.

Now, it was no longer a wonderful, living machine; it was simply an ordinary, 'lifeless' aerospace drone, able to do what it was designed to do but nothing else. My mind wrought by the great construct's _sadness_ and _shock_ - emotions that near-perfectly matched my own - I softly choked out, "Th-thank you. You... you can... return... to the TBM, now..." The lobotomized machine acknowledged my command with a simple blink of the light at its front, and then - without so much as a _hint_ of body language - promptly returned to its home in the Tunnel Boring Machine. Gently stroking the last, remaining Observer - still wrestling with the emotions of the Dragon Weyr raging through my mind - I slowly closed my eyes as they misted with tears, some of which fell upon the little machine as it rested in my arms.

"By Eywa's grace and Adun's glory!" I uttered softly. "What the fuck is going on down here? What could frighten an artificially intelligent _machine_ so badly that it would effectively _lobotomize_ itself? _What did those Observers see?_ Do we even have a map of where that damn tunnel leads?" A mixture of _affirmation_ and _negation_ from the Dragon Weyr answered my first three questions, whilst the fourth was answered with _affirmation_ followed by a feeling of _insistence _and an image of the miniature Computer within my armor's left forearm; all overshadowed with _shock,_ _sadness, _and_regret. _For a moment longer, the Dragon Weyr and I continued to mourn for the little Observer within the TBM - whom still _existed_ but now no longer truly _lived_ - until finally, we pulled ourselves together.

After carefully adjusting the still-resting _living _Observer within my arms, I wiped the tears from my eyes with a piece of my Templar Robe - which I still wore, over my armor - and then, with heavy heart I awakened the suspended Observer and told it of its partner's fate. As I finished speaking, the little machine regarded me silently for a moment as it hovered before me... and then turning to gaze back at the Tunnel Boring Machine - specifically towards the small hatch-door that covered the bay in which its partner now rested - it 'sang' a Binaric harmony of mourning. "You... you can go back to the TBM too, you know, to be with your partner. You don't have to be here with me in this, anymore; not if you don't wish to be. Your job is done, little one." I said to it, quietly, once it had finished.

The little Observer wouldn't hear of it, however; instead of returning to the TBM it chattered at me sharply in Binaric - as if to say, "_no way_" - and then buzzed around my head once before stopping to hover beside me at shoulder height. "Alright" I replied. With that said, I swiftly checked my armor's Computer System, and - to my delight - discovered that the Dragon Weyr's _insistence_ for me to check it had been justified; the databurst the 'slacker' Observer had transmitted to it was, indeed, a map! After feeding said map into the Computer's Holographic Imager, I examined the resulting image carefully as it lay suspended in the air before me. The tunnel the Observers had scouted continued for another 250 yards before terminating at the entrance of a truly _enormous_ cavern.

Said cavern, unfortunately, was filled with 'They Who Could Not See' but amidst the black marks that were their representations, I espied several faint, flickering marks of cyan. "Alright! Our females are there," I exclaimed, happily. "Well, that's it; let's get this party started!" With the lightest touch of one of the Computer's glyph-inscribed keys, I shut off the displayed map and then turned to face the Tunnel Boring Machine as I issued another powerful psychic call, _~Tsampongu, Zup... __MÌ!_At my call, the many segments of the Tunnel Boring Machine folded outwards to become large exit ramps, down which sixty veteran warriors and sixty veteran hunters - respectively led by Masters Lompor and Oo'ano - marched to meet me.

Once all were on the ground, they came to stand before me at attention and - after giving both Lompor and Oo'ano a respectful nod, which they both returned, I surveyed both groups with a critical eye, and then I commanded, _~Tsamsiyu Tsampongu, sekrr... __TSTAL!_ As one, all of the Warriors moved into combat stance and activated their psionic blades or - in the case of the traditionalists - unsheathed and presented their stone and bone blades for inspection. I surveyed said weapons with a critical eye; all seemed to be clean and well maintained. 'Excellent!' I thought, and then issued a second command. _~Tsamsiyu Tsampongu, mìso... __TSTAL!_ At said command, the Warriors deactivated or sheathed their weapons, and then moved to once again stand at attention.

With their inspection complete, I cast my gaze over the hunters before issuing them the same command to present their weapons, _~Taronyu Tsampongu, sekrr... __TSKO!_ As per their training, all of the Hunters moved into ranged combat stance, activating Photon Cannons or drawing ceremonial Bows with arrows, but not to fire. All had followed their training well; they were in fine health, their arms and armor were well maintained and clean, and all wore their helmets with Night Vision active. 'Good!' I thought to myself. With the inspection of the entire _Tsampongu_ complete, I issued to them a last command. _~Aynga Tsampongu, kllkxem... __NÌMWEY!_ The Hunters stowed their weapons and then - as the entire War Party moved to stand at ease - I turned to face the TBM once more, and issued a final psychic call. _~Reavers, fall... __IN__!~_

At the rear of the TBM, two _enormous_ bay doors at either side folded downwards to become massive ramps. Then there came a mechanical whirring / piston pumping sound as a pair of gigantic _Protoss Reavers_ crawled slowly out from their docking bays within the TBM, and then moved down the ramps to join the _Tsampongu_ before going idle. The Na'vi had seen these enormous robotic War Machines before - I had introduced one of them to the United Clans during their training for this mission - and, at first, many of the People had jeered and scoffed at its slow movement speed, as well as its docile, gentle nature. Attitudes had swiftly changed, however, when - during a training mission - I'd softly asked the Reaver to show the Na'vi what it could do; the machine had produced a single Scarab Drone with its micro-manufacturing plant, and had then launched said drone into a holographic group of 'They Who Could Not See.'

At first, the raw destructive power of that Scarab had utterly _terrified_ the Na'vi; they thought the Reaver to be some kind of cursed, evil thing. However, when I had explained to them that the Reaver was one of Txra'kon We'er's most potent weapons - and that its dreadful power would be turned fully upon the _vrrtep_ hordes of 'They Who Could Not See' - the people of the United Clans had cheered, whooped and hollered with an almost savage glee. Then, to my surprise and delight many curious Na'vi - some individually and others in groups of two or three - had moved forwards to touch and stroke the Reaver, and the gentle natured machine had _adored_ the attention, humming softly with pleasure!

Now, down here in this dank, fetid tunnel below Pandora, the mere sight of _two_ of these enormous, _ketuwong_ _fngap_ _Tsam Ayioang _made the hearts of the People soar with courage! With the entire _Tsampongu _assembled, I swiftly informed them of the security of the Great Seal holding back _Aywiya Vitra Txampay_, and of the discovery made by the Observers. The _Tsampongu_ of the United Clans - especially those Na'vi from my own Clan, Tawkami - were saddened somewhat by the loss of the _tifwew nari _but heartened at the discovery for which it had given its life: that the females still lived. The entire party was _extremely_ eager to wreak brutal havoc upon 'They Who Could Not See' but I wisely cautioned them. _"The final stage of the Plan approaches, ma 'Olo"_ I intoned softly, _"and I know, that you all want to battle the Enemy whom destroyed your Homes and took your kin... and you __shall!_

_However, there is to be __no__ fighting at all until the kidnapped females of Tawkami have been rescued; I shall see to that task, personally. Once our Olo' Ay'ite are safe inside the fngap toktor of Txra'kon We'er, then, and __only then__ will we fight. When the fighting begins you will, indeed, be able to slake your thirst for vengeance upon the Enemy, but your main job will be to support the Rr'ii'vrs of Txra'kon We'er. Together we will crush these enemies of Eywa! Do you understand this?" _Prompt replies of, _"Srane, Olo'eyktan"_ and _"srane, tsam'eyktan," _followed by near-unanimous nods, were the responses to my question and at this, I sighed internally with relief. Aloud, I called, _"Good, then let us begin! Reavers, open ranks! Tsamsiyu Tsampongu, form ranks... __front!__ Taronyu Tsampongu, form ranks... __rear!__ Forward... __move!__"_

At my command, the two Protoss Reavers - which had been sitting idle together - whirred to life and then crawled twenty feet apart from each other before turning to face the tunnel we intended to travel through. Then, as Lompor and Oo'ano barked out orders in Na'vi, the two sixty-man parties of Warriors and Hunters each split into two groups of thirty men each to fill the twenty foot gap between the Reavers; thirty warriors moved to close ranks before the front and sides of each whilst thirty hunters took up position at each machines rear and sides, effectively enclosing the powerful war machines into protective boxes. As this was happening, Lompor, Oo'ano, and Tsa'hik San'eya moved to my left side, right side, and back respectively.

Once everyone was in formation, we began to march and as we did so, I employed but a whisper of my psionic power to _silence_ the sound of our footsteps and the noise of the Reavers' motion; 'They Who Could Not See' wouldn't hear us coming... until it was far, _far_ too late! And thus, we marched through the tunnel - that continued broad and unbroken, on an easy, sloping decline - until, at last, I called the formation to a halt within the darkest of shadows that lay just a few feet before its exit. As the map transmitted by the Observer had shown, the great tunnel did, indeed, exit into a truly _massive_ cavern. Strangest of all was how the cavern was lit; glowing mold and mushrooms grew from its ceiling, and the unusual flora cast an eerie light whose colour faltered somewhere between muddy brown and bloody crimson.

With but a touch of my latent psychic power, I _concealed_ _myself from sight_, and then - taking a few steps inside the cavern - I carefully looked about... but immediately, I wished I _hadn't!_ Dear readers... oh, dear readers... Within that place I beheld things no waking mortal eye should ever see. Before me, a grossly bloated, multi-breasted _horror_ screamed in _ecstasy_ as with a splash of bloody birthing fluid she pushed from her loins a squalling abomination that might have been a baby Na'vi if it weren't so hideous! The child-thing, however, was too weak; without strength it struggled futilely for a moment to reach one of its mother's many breasts, before its 'mother' gently picked it up with a deformed arm.

I thought, perhaps, that she was going to help her child, but instantly I was proven wrong; in horror, I watched as the 'mother' _devoured_ her child, alive and screaming, groaning with pleasure as its lifeblood splashed across her dozen breasts! Sick with horror, I reeled away, only for my eyes to fall upon another sight; that of a second un-Na'vi abomination anally and vaginally _rape-fucking_ what appeared to be another female of _**their**_ race with his _two _thick penises! My horror mounting, I again attempted to turn my head from the grisly scene, only to catch sigh of yet _another_ horrific act: another 'male' whom was eating out another female that seemed to be a _child_; she screamed in the throes of deepest pleasure as the male drove his thick, tentacle-like tongue deep into the depths of her grossly swollen vagina to feast liberally upon a foul mixture of her feminine essence and blood!

Beyond those two, I espied another pair of _**them**_ coupling; a mutated, un-Na'vi woman, _orgasmed_ in the darkest of ecstasy as her male partner _fucked_ her brutally whilst slowly devouring her alive... _These_ were the vile acts for which the Na'vi had no name - terrible deeds that the followers of _Eywa_ could barely comprehend, let alone understand - but I, being of the _Tawtute_, had names for them all: Cannibalism, Incest, Pedophilia, Rape... and perhaps even Bestiality, if one were to squint hard enough. No matter which way I turned my head, no matter which way I looked, all around me I could see acts of depravity; it was a bestial orgy of pure, sadomasochistic debauchery, something I once thought existed only in the darkest of nightmares!

The Na'vi War Party with me, too, saw these acts, and - although I couldn't see their faces because they were wearing their animal helms - I _sensed_ that many were struggling not to be violently ill! _This _was the reason for which these beings were so utterly reviled; _this_ was what the poor, innocent Observers had seen, and _this_, I realized, was the reason these sick abominations were known to the Na'vi as 'They Who Could Not See.' Still... a flicker of hope yet remained in all this darkness: amidst _their_ disgusting, writhing bodies, within a simple _corral_ at the very center of the great cavern, I espied our females; just as the holographic map from the Observer had shown!

After being down here within this dank place, however - forcefully separated from their mates, good food, clean water, and the _life_ of _Eywa_ on Pandora's surface - although I was too far away to determine their medical states _physically, _I _knew_ that mentally and spiritually, their conditions were poor indeed. Like but unlike docile cattle, through eyes glazed over from depression, dementia or most likely insanity, they just _looked_ at the world, unthinking, unfeeling; _staring_ for a thousand yards, a stare broken only by the occasional blink. 'How the _hell_ are they even still alive in this place? How are they able to _breathe_ down here?' I wondered. The Dragon Weyr could not answer, and as for me, dear readers... well, the implications of those questions were too horrible to comprehend.


End file.
